Cougar
by gnrkrystle
Summary: Hermione is sick and tired of a loveless marriage. She sick of being boring and dependable. What happens when she decides to take on a younger man? Will she eat him alive or will he show her what it's like to be loved and adored?
1. Brisket on the Floor

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. J.K. Rowling made all the money off these characters, and she's probably be appalled at the things I do to them! ;)**

**A/N: This is my new story! I was inspired, so I decided to start a new one before all my old ones are finished being beta'd. This should be fully beta'd as it's updated though! YAY! Thanks so much to the amazing, talented, wonderful Rusty Weasley for the kick-ass beta skills. Also, thank you to onecelestialbeing for being my sounding board! Hope you enjoy this one. It's a new pairing for me (Hermione/Scorpius) and it will be a fun ride, I think. Just to clarify, the story is Epilogue compliant, but I moved it up 5 years, making it 14 years after the last chapter of DH instead of 19. So, all the adults are 5 years younger than cannon and all the kids are about 5 years older. Now on with the story. **

* * *

**COUGAR**

* * *

**Brisket on the Floor**

_January 2019_

She stared at the clock one last time before sighing in frustration and pushing the contents of the gourmet dinner she'd prepared onto the floor with a resounding crash. Twenty Years. She'd been Mrs. Ronald Weasley for twenty fucking years and this is all she had to show for it. What a fucking arsehole!

Things had moved fast after Harry killed Voldemort and saved the Wizarding World from his evil influence. The Death Eaters had been rounded up. Trials were held. Diagon Alley rebuilt itself. Hermione got the boy she'd wanted since she was thirteen years old. It was like a fairy tale.

They'd married in January of 1999, only eight months after they had their first kiss. It was completely out of character for her to rush into something so permanent, but she'd loved him and he was all she'd ever wanted. Harry and Ginny were married only months before and it was as if all their dreams were coming true. She was a Weasley, and no matter how many irritations came with that, it was her truest dream for seven years.

The horrors of the war were not completely lost. They all suffered nightmares and constant reminders of the people they'd lost. Harry had it the worst, but after years of Voldemort-induced nightmares, he was grateful that at least these were his own. More than twenty years after the war, Hermione and her friends had seemed to hit their stride in life. Their kids were already off at Hogwarts and living a relatively stress-free existence, what more could she have asked for?

Certainly, she hadn't asked for _this_**_. _**At forty, she could pass for thirty, but she felt fifty. She saw her husband on rare occasions, and they didn't even share a room any longer. When he was around, he gave her the perfunctory kiss on the head and then retreated to the living room to watch the television. She could probably count the number of times they'd spoken outside of the presence of others in the last year on one hand.

She tried to talk to him about it on several occasions but he just grinned at her and told her she was being silly. It was normal to grow 'comfortable' with each other. She hated how much 'comfortable' seemed to sound like 'bored'. She didn't want to be bored. She wanted to be seduced. She wanted romance. She wanted to be inspired and intellectually stimulated. Harry and Ginny seemed to have no trouble on any of those counts.

The worst of it, was when Ron had gone off to Romania to help Charlie with a crisis and hadn't even bothered to tell her. She'd been frantic for _hours_ before getting a hold of Harry who'd informed her where her husband was. When he returned, she laid into him about how irresponsible he'd been and how much he'd scared her. He just shrugged and said, "He's family."

That was his excuse for everything. If Molly needed him to cast a ward on the house, he'd be there in a second. Oh, if it was his precious family he'd come running. Hermione could be on fire and he'd just tell her he was 'busy'. Wasn't _she_ his family now? He didn't seem to see it that way.

She remembered, clear as day, the moment she realized she'd never have the life she wanted with Ron. After a session of the world's most uninspiring sex, he rolled over and got out of bed.

"Ron?" she asked, wondering where he was going.

"I think I'm just going to sleep in the spare," he said with a shrug as if it was the most normal behavior ever.

"W-Why?" Hermione asked, still overcome with the annoyance of being unsatisfied by his quick performance.

"Well, the truth is, I don't get much sleep in here. Not good at sharing a bed and all that," he said, smirking as if to lighten the blow.

She looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Ron, we've been sharing a bed for nearly fifteen years."

"For the kid's sake," Ron reminded her as if I were obvious. "But Hugo's off to Hogwarts now. There's no reason I have to be uncomfortable," his nonchalance about the whole thing angered her. _Uncomfortable? _Wasn't it more uncomfortable to admit that you have no desire to share a bed with your wife? Was she _that_ undesirable?

It wasn't as if Ron had aged well over the years? He had a profound belly even at thirty-five. He made no effort to even appear 'put together' in public anymore. It was rare they even went out somewhere other than the Burrow anyway.

When he left the room she moved out of the bed and stared at her naked reflection in the full length mirror on the door of her closet. Things had begun to sag a bit, she had to admit. After giving birth two two children and taking care of the family, she'd let her self go, just the slightest bit.

She frowned to herself. She hated to think her husband shallow enough to care that she was just fifteen pounds heavier than when they married, but she wondered if, perhaps, she just needed to inspire him again. Besides, it would make her feel better to get into shape.

So, she did. For the next six-months after that, Hermione worked very hard to eat right and exercise, losing all the weight she'd gained from her two pregnancies and toning up. When she took her clothes off before the mirror, she felt sexy and attractive. She felt young and desirable. Ron didn't so much as say a word about it. That stung.

She'd done all the right things. She got married. She had children. She worked to keep a tidy and functioning home all while bringing in a hefty portion of the bacon at her Ministry job. She'd patiently muddled through Molly Weasley's lectures about being a good mother and wife. She'd read the Kama Sutra cover to spark even the slightest interest from her husband, sexually. She'd bent over backward to make him find her attractive again. She was a giver, damnit. But she got little in return.

She was sick of being taken for granted. She was tired of being tired. She wanted something, anything to inspire a reaction out of her husband. As it was, she couldn't even get him to remember their Twentieth Anniversary. He was likely out with one of the men from the office.

He'd found himself a safe job within the Auror Department, collecting money for doing as little as possible. She sighed, wondering if she was being unfair to him out of her own frustration. No. That was pretty much the gist. He was a lazy, self-centered, Mummy's boy. He cared about nothing more than Quidditch and food. After twenty years he still had the emotional and intellectual range of a teaspoon. Maybe that was the worst part - twenty years of little to no mental stimulation. Perhaps if the sex was even mildly inspiring, she could have overlooked that. Perhaps.

It wasn't as if he was abusive or anything. He just wasn't there. She'd even contemplated the notion that he was having an affair. The sad thing was, she began not to care if it was true. She'd take a mistress on if it meant she could have him, completely, at least part of the time. As time went on, she wondered if she wanted him at all. His every act grated her nerves, even if he was gone the vast majority of the time.

What had started as a passionate 'dream come true' turned into a boring and awkward mess in a matter of a few years. Why had she stayed this long? The only thing she could come up with was her children. She loved Rose and Hugo. They were the very best of her and Ron. Rose being smart and caring while Hugo was curious and passionate. Ron loved them very much, and it just might have been his only redeeming quality.

Looking down at the gravy dripping on the floor from the brisket she'd painstakingly prepared for him (it was his favorite), she growled in frustration. Stalking into the hall, she removed Ron's favorite racing broom and, raising it above her head, snapped it in two. It felt so food, she stalked into the kitchen and dumped all the dishes out of the cabinets.

The breaking glass was her catharsis as she moved onto the stemware they'd received for their wedding. It was a 'Weasley family heirloom'. She just wished Molly could hear them breaking. She certainly wasn't exhibiting the behavior of a 'proper wife'. Sod being proper; she'd done _everything_ right and ended up alone, hopelessly lonely and agitated. Being married wasn't the same as having a marriage. They had nothing to show for twenty years but two wonderful children. And for the first time, it all clicked into place. Her children were not reason enough to stay. They were mostly out of the house as it was, and besides, better they have two happy parents than two miserable ones. Ron could not possibly be happy in this nightmare either.

With renewed sense of purpose, she stalked out of the kitchen, avoiding the colossal mess she'd made, and up to the room she no longer shared with her absentee husband. Packing her old trunk from Hogwarts, she took what she needed, as well as half of the emergency money in the tin by the bed. Let Ron deal with the mess himself, assuming of course he'd even notice the shambles she'd left the house in, or the fact that she was no longer there.


	2. The Hogwarts Express

**The Hogwarts Express**

* * *

_June 2019_

Hermione looked at her clock for the fifth time in as many minutes. She was excited and nervous about the arrival of her children on the Hogwarts Express from school for the summer. After nearly six months of turmoil, fights, angry looks and words, Hermione needed to know that her children at least still believed in her.

She wasn't sure what their reaction would be, actually. When the divorce had gone through, after nearly a month of trying to pin Ron down long enough to get him to sign the papers, the only response she received were two separate owls from Rose and Hugo. Rose's read:

_'Mum,_

_I can't deal with this right now. N.E.W.T.s are scant months away, and I can't process your rationale right now. I'll speak to you when tests are over and I return to London on the train. _

_Love you,_

_Rose'_

As much as the response hurt her, she understood that Rose wasn't being harsh, she simply cared about her grades that much. She was very much like Hermione in that way. She was Head Girl and Professor Flitwick had informed Hermione more than once how proud he was to have such a keen mind in his ranks as Ravenclaw Head-of-House.

Hugo's letter was a bit softer:

_'Mum,_

_I didn't even know you and Dad were mad at each other. I wouldn't want you to stay if you are truly unhappy, but can't it be worked out? I know Dad isn't always responsive, but I know he cares. Think about it. _

_Love,_

_Hugo'_

She'd smiled to herself when she read that. At least it meant that she and Ron had done a successful job of keeping their adult problems hidden from the children. Hugo was so smart and intuitive, at least about his father's shortcomings. She was struck with a pang of guilt when she read it. Maybe she should have given it one more shot.

No. Even with the fact that Molly wasn't speaking to her, and her relationship with Harry and Ginny was fragile, at best, she'd done the right thing. She was happy, or at least getting there. She had to hope that Ginny, at least, would come around. Once she did, she knew Harry would just be happy to no longer be in the middle of his best friend and his wife. She did feel a bit bad for the bloke.

After she'd been granted her divorce, she'd taken her half of the settlement and bought a flat in London. She'd spent so much time removed from the city, she wanted to explore it. Ron hated the city. He liked the quiet life. Nothing wrong with that, but Hermione wondered if she might like a more fast paced lifestyle from now on. There was nothing holding her back now. Rose was an adult now. She'd be getting her own place in London too. Hugo could come and go as he pleased in the summer and winter holidays.

For the last four months, she'd been living in the city she'd been to hundreds of times but never had the chance to explore. She loved it. She was free, independent, and happy. If that wasn't reason enough to be confident in her decision to leave, Ron's total lack of fight for her would have been.

When she'd left him, it took him two whole days to realize something was amiss. He was quite used to getting in late and leaving for work after Hermione was already gone. In fact, it was something he overheard at the Aurors office that made him realize something wasn't right. Hermione had apparently called in sick and he couldn't account for where she was.

After asking her to reconsider, telling her things would be different, he just shrugged and went to the Burrow where his mother licked his wounds. After that, he avoided her at all costs, culminating in a Battle Royale at the Burrow to get him to sign the divorce papers and agree to sell the house. The battle being with Molly, not with Ron. He just looked at her curiously and then signed the papers with a sigh. She had to hold back the tears as she watched him look almost relieved. If he wanted out so bad, why hadn't he just told her?

However, she didn't have time to dwell on that any longer. It was time to pick up her children from King's Cross. Ron agreed that she could go, likely because he didn't want to have to explain the situation in any depth to the kids. It was just as well, as far as she was concerned. She wanted to be the one to shape her argument rather than having Molly and her brood paint the picture.

Slipping on her high-heeled shoes, Hermione gave herself a once-over in the mirror and smiled at her reflection. _Eat your heart out, Ronald-bloody-Weasley_. After years of putting her physical appearance on the back burner, she'd found the world of beauty spas and designer clothing a bit intimidating at first, but after a bit of nerves, she'd figured it out.

She'd tamed her hair down into sleek curls that were cut into long layers, framing her heart-shaped face. The high and low-lights in her chocolate hair gave her once embarrassing mane a sexy look that she'd noticed women envying.

She'd aged gracefully and her face reflected it. She could easily pass for under thirty on a good day, and rarely needed much make up to enhance her features. Her body was tight and fit after years of trying to appease her husband, and she had to admit she was grateful for his lighting a fire under her arse on that front. She liked that she was in shape and healthy. She needn't even keep a rigorous exercise schedule any longer to keep it up.

Her jeans jugged her curves without making her look like she was attempting to be younger than she was, and her button-down pink silk tank top was cut just low enough to see the hint of her cleavage. All in all, she looked great, and she knew it. When she was ready, she couldn't wait to try out her new look in a dating environment. She was itching to explore her social skills as well as her sexuality.

She grabbed her handbag on the way out the door and started her short trek to the tube. She liked the Muggle underground. It was calming to her nerves and reminded her of her childhood.

* * *

Scorpius Malfoy brushed a bit of lint off his immaculate pants and sighed in frustration as he stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express. Seven years of school, over, and he had no idea what he was going to do next. Very likely his father would demand to have yet another conversation about joining the ranks of Malfoy Industries. He'd rather eat his own foot.

"Scorp, what's the deal, man?" Albus Potter, his best friend much to his father's displeasure, asked. "You've been sulking the whole week."

"My father," he said simply and Albus just nodded in understanding. His own father was the exact opposite of Draco Malfoy. He didn't know how Scorpius dealt with the pressure.

"Just tell him you want to take a break," Al said. "It's not like you haven't earned it." It was true. Scorpius had just missed out being Head Boy by a few points. He was popular with both the teachers and other students. He was the model student. It never stopped his father from pointing out any ineptitudes perceived or otherwise.

"You are thinking of your father," he snorted. "Harry bleeding Potter, the King Gryffindor has a son in Slytherin and he practically writes you a sonnet about how proud of you he is. My father only remembers that Rose Weasley beat me in Potions last year."

Al just shook his head. "Just try it. What's the worst thing that could happen? You are an adult now, Scorp. You can do whatever you want."

_Yeah,_Scorpius thought to himself, _but Malfoys don't do whatever they want_. From what he understood, his father had changed quite a bit since he was a boy. He knew that he'd been a Death Eater, but that was a taboo subject at the Manor. He knew his father didn't know how to show his affection even though he knew he felt it. But it didn't change the fact that he did not want his father's life.

His mother was little help. She stood by whatever his father said, no matter what. It was how a proper Pureblood wife was supposed to be. He still couldn't believe how dated his parents were. No one gave a bloody fig about blood status anymore. The old generation would have a heart attack if they knew how many Pureblood elite fucked around with half-blood and Muggle-borns. That blood nonsense was nothing more than old rot that Voldemort had exploited to kill a lot of people. Scorpius thought it was exceedingly stupid.

"We'll see," he finally said noncommittally. "Anyway, this is right depressing. Why don't you tell me about about that Ravenclaw you hooked up with after graduation?"

Al beamed at his friend before launching into his tale of conquest and how his cousin, the aforementioned Rose, promised to hex his bollocks off if he didn't stop fucking any and everything in a skirt.

* * *

"My babies!" Hermione cried, throwing her arms wide as Rose and Hugo jogged toward her.

"Mom, seriously, I'm nearly sixteen!" Hugo blushed, rolling his eyes. She just grinned at him and turned her attention to Rose.

"So," Hermione asked, cocking her head to the side, "how much trouble am I in?"

"Not here," Rose said, but she smiled warmly, and Hermione had to take that to be a good sign. "You look beautiful, Mum."

Hermione beamed at that. She'd taken great pride in her appearance of late. The looks she got were flattering and she appreciated them. "Thank you, honey."

"A little too good," Hugo piped up. "You're my mum. You aren't supposed to look hot!"

Rose smacked him upside the head. "She's a woman too, bird brain. She has a right to look attractive." Hermione smiled at both of them. Merlin, she'd missed her kids.

"Okay, let's get out of here. I'll take you to dinner before I show you my new place," Hermione explained.

"We aren't going to Uncle Harry's?" Hugo asked before his sister elbowed him in the ribs.

Hermione pursed her lips. "Not this time," she said. She didn't want to bring her kids into the issues she had with the other half of their family.

"Lead the way," Rose said, gesticulating grandly and changing the subject as she shot her brother a menacing glare.

Hermione couldn't help but notice Draco Malfoy standing with his magically enhanced wife -Astrid or something was her name - as they walked past the crowd toward Muggle King's Cross. Draco looked remarkably like his father, and his son, Scorpius if she remembered correctly, looked just like Malfoy had in their final year. Those Malfoy genes were potent. However, according to Rose, the most junior Malfoy was a decent guy. At least that wasn't passed on.

Shaking her head, she pushed onward, leading her kids away from the circus and out toward the city.

* * *

"Okay, let me have it. I want you to tell me exactly what you think and feel about the divorce, and then we can talk about it," Hermione said, after they ordered their food.

Hugo and Rose exchanged a look and a sigh before Rose started speaking. "Look, mum, it's your life. Hugo and I talked for a long time about this. It was a shock at first. I mean, we didn't even think you and Dad were having problems. But the more we talked, the more we realized, there were little things."

Hugo nodded, "Like last Christmas. You two didn't speak the whole day. I didn't think about it at the time, but that's not normal."

Hermione looked at her children a little shocked. She'd expected some outrage or ranting. It seemed they were taking this quite well. "I never wanted you two to know. I don't think your father is a bad person. I don't want you to think you have to choose between us. I just couldn't do it anymore."

"I understand, Mum," Rose said. "It's not right to sacrifice your happiness for the sake of some traditional, 'till death do us part' nonsense." Hermione frowned at that.

"Well, I don't want you to think marriage is nonsense..." she started.

"I don't mean that," Rose said with a shake of the head. "I just mean that marriages can break down. Many times we as a society, especially in Wizarding society, make women feel like more of a failure when something goes wrong. If Dad wasn't pulling his weight, it's not your fault. You deserve to be happy. You're still young, and..."

Hermione just smiled at her daughter. She was so wise and mature. She was an independent woman who would not be walked all over in this world. At least in that, she'd been a success. "Thank you, honey," she said before turning to Hugo. "Now what about you?"

"I agree with Rose, mostly. Dad's not happy either. You can see it. I think...I just think he would have stayed forever because it was comfortable," Hugo explained.

"I think you are right." Hermione said, proud of her children for their extreme maturity on the issue. "I'm glad you both understand. I never wanted to disappoint you."

"You don't," Rose assured her. "But does this mean we are not all going to the Burrow together? What's the deal with the rest of the family?" She hated to be insensitive, but she wanted to know what to expect for the next couple of months until she found a job.

"Well, that's a bit complicated," Hermione said, starting on her dinner as it had just arrived at the table. "I think your father is okay. He's moving on. But your grandmother is very disappointed."

"You mean Grandma Weasley is being a right pain," Hugo filled in. Hermione just chuckled. This kid was something else. "She just needs time to adjust," Hermione said diplomatically. She had a few choice words for the Weasley matriarch, but it wasn't her place to say them in front of the kids.

"We'll see," Rose said, pursing her lips. "She'd better not cross me."

"No one would dream of it, my dear," Hermione smiled. "Now, enough of that. Tell me all about school."

Rose launched into a discussion about classes and the years main events while Hugo focused more on Quidditch and who was dating whom. Hermione had no idea who half the kids were, but she just smiled and enjoyed her children's tales of Hogwarts.

* * *

Scorpius twisted his hands around the napkin in his lap. His mother had already gone down the list of everything that was wonderful and perfect about him while his father said very little. However, it was that time of the meal that he'd start in on the 'Malfoy Responsibilities'.

"Scorpius, I understand you just got home, but I need to know when you will be available for work," Draco said eying his son critically.

"W-work?" Scorpius gulped. "But I never said..."

His father rolled his eyes and cut him off. "I know you never committed, but this is real life now, Scorpius. You haven't any prospects and you are to take over the company one day."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he said, working up his courage. Why was it so hard to just talk to his father? "I want to move into London and..."

"London?" Draco scoffed. "Don't be absurd. Only street people live in London."

Scorpius rolled his eyes at that, "Father, I'm trying to tell you what I want to do."

"We can't just do what we want to do, Scorpius. It would be nice if life were a barrel of fun, but it isn't. It's serious," Draco said, knowing all too well that life was hard and harsh. Just because there was no Dark Lord around didn't mean that Scorpius was any less responsible for keeping up the line. There was too much at stake - hundreds of years of breeding.

"Father, this is the 21st Century!" Scorpius finally blurted out. "I'm a grown man! I've taken the tests. I've graduated school. Now, it's my time to be who I want to be!"

"You are spoiled," Draco spat. "Do you know what I was doing when I was your age? I was fighting for my life! I was caught between what was right and family obligation. I was made into a warrior."

"I know, Father," Scorpius tried to interrupt but it was no use.

"You will have one week. Then you are coming the Malfoy Industries to learn the business. That's final," Draco said, getting up from the table without another word and stalking out of the room.

"Dear, he wants the best for you. You'll never want for anything," Astoria said, patting her son on the hand. "Speaking of, how is that lovely Zabini girl? I know she's part Italian, but her blood is as pure as any."

Scorpius couldn't help it. After his father's dictatorial decree, he couldn't take any more meddling. "I believe she is overcoming a bad case of dragon herpes. Probably because she was caught blowing the entire Hufflepuff Quidditch team," he sneered throwing his napkin down on the table. His parents were hopeless.

* * *

It had taken three days and several encouraging owls from Albus, but he finally worked up the courage to talk to his father again. This time, he was going to say what he wanted to say. He was prepared for the inevitable fall out.

"Father," he said, entering Draco's study before dinner.

"Scorpius?" his Father said, looking up at him.

"I'm not going to Malfoy Industries," Scorpius said, squaring his shoulders and continuing forward before Draco could interrupt him. "Albus Potter and I are going to rent a flat in Wizarding London and I am going to begin a workshop in studio art at the end of August."

"Oh really?" Draco responded with a quirked eyebrow. "And how do you plan to pay for that?"

"I...Well...I'll figure it out," he said, having not thought of that part.

Draco looked at him hard, the disappointment clear in his eyes and it was almost enough to make Scorpius buckle. "You'd better, because I shall not finance this absurd endeavor. When you are living on the streets perhaps you will come across some sense."

Scorpius stood there gaping at his father. Was that his father's way of saying, 'okay'?

"Until then, get out of my sight," Draco said, turning back to the papers he'd been scanning before his son entered the room. _So, not giving his blessing then_, Scorpius thought, defeated. It didn't feel good to let his father down, but he could not let the older man continue to live his life for him any longer, no matter how much the might think it was for his own good.

He sniffed and left the room, packing his trunk with only what he needed. Tomorrow was a new day.


	3. Moving Forward

**A/N: Another special thanks to my beta Rusty Weasley and my amazing sounding board oncelestialbeing. She's the best. Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing! I love you all! **

**Moving Forward**

* * *

_August 2019_

"Oi, Scorp!" Albus Potter shouted from the kitchen of their small two bedroom flat.

"I'm coming, jeez!" Scorpius shouted back. It was to be the first time Al took him to 'The Burrow', whatever the hell that was supposed to be, for a family Quidditch game. He was only slightly nervous. He knew the Weasley children pretty well already. After seven years at Hogwarts and an entire summer living with Al, it was hard not to.

He liked Rose okay, if only she'd dislodge the stick from her ass and learn to have fun. Hugo was a nice kid and never ratted him or Al out when they were doing something they shouldn't have been. James was very funny, and Scorpius liked him quite a lot. Lily was just a kid, but she was a pretty cool one. Teddy and Victoire were usually up each other's arses, so he didn't know them as well, but they seemed nice enough, if not a little self absorbed.

The 'kids' were not what he was worried about. Scorpius had met Harry and Ginny Potter a handful of times at King's Cross. They were cordial, but he could tell they always saw his father when they looked at him. He was actually shocked that they allowed Al to live with him. He guessed they were more open minded than _his_ father.

He just didn't want to spend the day being gawked at like a Death Eater. His father's mistakes were his own. Besides, he knew his father regretted his actions in the war. Not only because he'd come out on the losing end, but because his father, with all his faults, was not a bad man. He shook those thoughts out of his head. He was being sentimental. His dad might not have been a bad man, but he was being an arsehole.

"Okay, I'm ready," he said, stalking out of his room in a pair of Muggle jeans and a tight Puddlemere United tee-shirt. Running his hand through his hair, he looked anxiously at Albus.

"It's fine." His dark-haired friend said, rolling his eyes. "Everyone knows you are coming and no one cares."

"Shut it," Scorpius said, annoyed that his friend was making fun of him. "Let's just get this over with."

"Just wait until you eat my grandmother's food. You'll hate me for not bringing you over sooner!" Al promised. Scorpius just smirked and followed Al to the Floo.

* * *

"Mum, come on," Rose said, hands on her hips like she meant business. "It does no good to avoid them. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Honey, I know you don't understand, but they want me over there less than I want to go," Hermione insisted.

"You are being ridiculous!" Rose declared. "Dad is over it. At least, enough that he's not going to make an issue, and Grandma, well..."

"Rose, I can't spend the day with them," Hermione said, her tone growing irritated. Rose had been trying to get her to come to the Burrow for different functions all summer. Her daughter had spent the last two months with her at the flat, and going to the Burrow often to spend time with her father. Hugo had opted to stay at the Burrow, but Hermione didn't mind because he came to see her almost daily.

"Not all day, then. Just come by. You have to make the first move. You know they won't," Rose reasoned. That was probably true. The Weasleys were a stubborn bunch. Arthur never blamed her for the divorce, but he also never wanted to take on the wrath of his wife. Ginny was moving through her stages of grief about the divorce, but was at least speaking to her now. The twins had taken her side completely, knowing how Ron could be. Bill and Fleur had also stayed in contact with her, knowing what it was like to have disappointed the Weasley matriarch. Charlie was never around and didn't really care about any of it. Molly was the real issue. She was stubbornly intent that Hermione had not given her son a chance and was 'giving up' too easily.

Another thing was Ron. She had avoided seeing him for months. She didn't know how it would feel to see him again, if she was being honest. She had loved him once. They'd been married for twenty years. That was a long time, even if she didn't regret her decision.

She sighed. Rose was right though. She couldn't hide forever. "I'll come over to pick you up," she finally said. "That's the best I can do."

Rose smiled at her. It was a start.

* * *

"So, why does everyone baby Rose and Hugo's dad?" Scorpius asked James as they landed on the ground. Both had played Seeker in the last game, Scorpius beating out James by a hair's breath.

"Oh," James chuckled, "apparently their mother is coming to pick them up for dinner. Messy divorce you know," James said, rolling his eyes as if to say 'they are all crazy'. Actually Scorpius didn't know. Divorce was not common in the Wizarding world, and it was unheard of in Pureblood families.

"I see," he said, shrugging his shoulders. The way the Weasley matriarch was hovering over the grown man, you'd have thought his dog just died.

"Mum!" Rose called, darting past both the boys and pulling off her Chaser's gloves.

Scorpius followed her with his eyes until they landed on a woman who could _not_ have been Rose Weasley's mother. "Damn," he said under his breath.

James heard him though, and chuckled again. "I know, right? She might be my aunt, but I can admit, she's totally bangable."

Scorpius finally peeled his eyes away from Rose and Hugo's mother and chuckled in return. "Kind of feel bad for Hugo. If my mother looked like that, I'd keep her under lock and key," he said. James nodded his head in whole-hearted agreement. No way did he want guys scamming on his mother on the level Hugo must have to deal with.

Hugo seemed to have noticed his mother too because he was soon running toward her as well. Both children flanked her sides, almost as if protecting her as she made her way over to Ron. It wouldn't do to be rude, no matter how awkward the situation.

"Hi Ron," Hermione greeted, ignoring the hard look Molly was giving her.

"'Mione," he said simply.

_So, it's going to be like pulling teeth, is it?_ Hermione just sighed internally and continued. "When would you like Hugo back?" she asked politely, though Hugo usually decided on his own when and where he wanted to go.

Ron looked from her to Hugo and back to her. "Tomorrow morning is fine, if he wants to stay," he finally said. Hugo beamed, glad that his father wouldn't make a fuss about his wanting to spend the night with his mother. He'd decided to stay with Ron to help him adjust, but the Burrow was suffocating sometimes.

"I thought the arrangement was that you'd have Rose and we'd have Hugo this summer," Mrs. Weasely cut in.

Hermione counted to five in her head but continued in a kind tone. "That is true, but I also wish the kids to have some latitude. If Rose wants to spend time with her father, I have no problem with that. Likewise, Hugo should be allowed to spend time with me." Hugo and Rose shifted uncomfortably near her, fearing an explosion on the horizon.

"I just don't think you should disturb the children's schedules," Molly said.

"Rose is an adult. She'll be moving into her own flat come September, and Hugo is sixteen. They are old enough to make their own decisions," Hermione said simply, but her tone was final. Molly huffed but let it go, thank Merlin.

"Ron, can I speak to you for a moment?" Hermione asked, looking around at the crowd that had gathered, failing to be inconspicuous. He nodded and got up, following her to the front of the house, near where the garden met the road.

"Are you okay?" she finally asked when he just stood there.

"You mean after you left me? Yeah, I'm great," he spat. Well, at least it was an emotion.

"I didn't want it to be like this," Hermione said. "Do you think I wanted to be divorced after twenty years?" Ron said nothing and she sighed in frustration. "See, this is what I mean. You aren't Ron anymore. You used to be hot headed and passionate. But now you just _exist_. There's no spark. Nothing. I can't live like that," Hermione explained.

"I know," he said. "I don't know what you want from me. I've changed. But so have you."

Hermione nodded. Of course she had. They both had changed. It was natural after so many years. The problem was that they changed against each other. "You are right. We are both to blame. But can you honestly look at me and say that you tried?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron admitted. "I didn't try. I knew you'd gotten in shape for me. I knew you wanted me to tell you how beautiful you looked. But I just...I couldn't. I couldn't see you that way any longer. I don't know when it changed. I just..."

Hermione shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's over now. We can move on. We are both still relatively young. Ron, I really want you to be happy. If you were seeing someone else, I won't be mad. You could tell me."

"I wasn't!" Ron snapped. "I wasn't cheating! I wouldn't do that."

"Okay, okay!" Hermione said, putting her hands up in surrender. "I just thought. Well, you weren't getting what you needed from me..."

"I wasn't getting what I needed from anyone," Ron admitted. "Maybe it was that Muggle thing you were talking about - Post-Traumatic Stress or something - maybe I'm just tired, but I just can't do anything anymore. I love Rose and Hugo, and I work. That is about all the energy I have left. I think that I need to talk about this to someone."

"I'm here for you, if you need someone to talk. We might not have worked out, but we have two beautiful kids and we have been friends for almost thirty years," Hermione reasoned.

"Maybe," Ron said. "I've got to get out of the Burrow soon. Mum's driving me bloody bonkers. After that, we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll talk to someone, you know, a professional."

Hermione nodded in understanding. Ron's problems were something only he could deal with. The war had traumatized everyone, and like Hermione, Ron's childhood and innocence had been stripped away at an early age. That would account for his selfish behavior.

"Hey, Hermione," he finally said, smiling for the first time in months, "you do look beautiful." She blushed and smiled back.

"Thanks, Ron."

* * *

"So what did you and dad talk about?" Rose asked.

"None of your business," Hermione said, smirking to show she was kidding. "We cleared the air. We are okay."

Hugo sighed with relief. "Now, if you could just get him to move out of grandma's house."

"We'll work on that next," Rose promised. "She's driving me bloody bonkers!" Hermione burst into laughter and just shook her head.

"Like father, like daughter. Come on Hugo, let's get home. Rose and I saved all of your favorite shows to watch together on the DVR." Hugo lit up like a Christmas tree.

* * *

_December 2019_

"Happy Christmas!" Hermione cried, waking her two children up with excited glee.

"Mum, it's like 6:00 in the morning," Hugo groaned.

"Yes, if I knew you were going to come in here screaming like a banshee at the crack of dawn, I'd have stayed at my own flat!" Rose grumbled.

"Oh you two," Hermione said, ignoring them. "It's Christmas. Don't you want to see what Father Christmas left you?"

"She's lost her mind, Rose. The break with dad has finally broken her," Hugo said, propping up on one elbow in his makeshift bed on the floor of the guest bedroom.

"I was wondering when it would happen. She's been doing so well. I guess the fact that dad is dating Lavender Brown again is just too much," Rose concluded.

Hermione just rolled her eyes at her children. "Get up. Breakfast in five minutes!"

As if she cared about who Ron was dating. If Lavender did it for him, great. It wasn't as if she wasn't exploring her own avenues. She'd been a little shy about dating men in the Wizarding world - one, because she was too recognizable, and two, because she didn't want it getting back to her kids.

So, she limited her dating circle to Muggles. Merlin, had she learned some things. She felt like a slut the first time she went home with a man after the first date. He was attractive, smart, and she couldn't help herself. After an entire night of hard, fast sex that made her feel like a woman for the first time in years, she was hooked. There was no soul connection with that one, and that was just fine with her.

It felt exhilarating and dangerous, exploring her sexuality, the guilt from her first encounter dissipating as she realized that she wasn't doing anything wrong. She was an unattached adult and she had every right to seek sexual pleasure. It wasn't wrong or dirty. It should be expected after one sex partner for twenty years.

After much grumbling, Rose and Hugo made their way into the kitchen to see their mother presiding over a stove of eggs, French toast, and coffee. "Mad at me now?" Hermione asked with a quirk of the eyebrow.

"How can we be mad when you cook for us before the sun is even up?" Hugo asked sarcastically.

"Mum, honestly. Why are we up so early?" Rose said, drinking her coffee black in an attempt to wake up.

"I only get you half the day," Hermione said. "I want to make the most of it."

"I knew this broken home thing was going to be a drag," Hugo said, smirking.

"Yeah, can you get back together with dad so we can go back to sleep?" Rose said, grinning at her mother.

"You two are itching to be taken out of my will. Now eat," Hermione said laughing at her kids.

"Anyway, as I was saying," she continued when Rose and Hugo had dished up a hefty portion of breakfast, "I'm sending you over to the Burrow for dinner, and then you are off to your dad's place for the next few days. I just want to make the most of the day."

"You are invited to the Burrow, you know," Hugo said. "Grandma has backed off. I think she understands now."

"I know," Hermione said with a smile. "Honestly, I have plans tonight, or I'd come."

"Plans?" That perked Rose's interest. Her daughter had been trying to ferret out details on Hermione's romantic entanglements, but so far Hermione had been keeping them from her. She was very close with her children, and wanted to have an open relationship with them, but her sex life was not something she felt appropriate to share with them. No matter how old they were.

As it was, her plans for the evening were not a date with anyone other than herself. She planned to curl up with a cup of cocoa and 'A Wonderful Life'. She knew her kids wouldn't miss her once they got to the Burrow.

"Never you mind that. What about you and Teddy?" Hermione countered, causing her daughter to turn red.

"It's not like there's a chance there. Victoire has him wrapped around her manicured finger," Rose huffed. She'd had a crush on the older boy forever. There were times lately, that she thought he'd actually felt something too, but then he was off with Victoire as quickly as they came.

"Give it time, honey," Hermione said sympathetically. "He'll come around or he won't. If he doesn't, be assured, there are plenty more fish in the sea."

"Wow, a cacophony of clichés," Rose said with a smirk. "I'm not going to waste my time worrying about it. I start Healer training in the fall. I don't need to be bothered with trivial boy problems." Hermione was amused at how much like herself Rose sounded.

"If anyone cares, I've made great progress with Annie Fox," Hugo said smugly.

"Good for you, dear," Hermione said appeasing him. Annie Fox was a Muggle-born Gryffindor that Hugo had set his sights on this year. Apparently they were having quite the owl exchange this winter holiday.

"No one cares about _my_ problems," Hugo sighed dramatically.

"That's it dear. Just a little more self-pity and you've got the martyr role down," Hermione said with a grin. Hugo grinned back at her, shoveling more eggs in his mouth.

* * *

"Thank you for having me, Mother," Scorpius said feeling, for the first time, like a stranger in his own childhood home. It was the first time he'd been home since his father requested that he 'get out of his sight', but it was Christmas and they'd asked that he join them for dinner as usual.

"Of course we would have dinner together," Astoria said as if it were obvious. "We are all in the dining room."

"We?" Scorpius asked.

"Oh yes, I'm sure you remember Eviana Rosier," his mother said, leading him into the dining room where his father was speaking with a dark haired girl just slightly older than himself. She had graduated the year before he had. He remembered her. She was a Slytherin, generally found underneath whoever was Quidditch captain at the time. He'd even given her a go once.

"Hello," he greeted politely, but he already knew what was going on. This was a set up. His parents were hoping this money grubbing pureblood would be reason enough for him to move back home, marry, and start at Malfoy Industries. They really underestimated him.

"Scorpius," Eviana gushed, "I'm so happy your parents invited me."

He just nodded, moving around to his father and shaking the man's hand. "Father."

"Scorpius," his father returned.

Thus began one of the most excruciating family dinners of his life.

* * *

"Yes Scorpius! Oh yes," Eviana cried, clinging to his back with her sharp nails. "Oh, right there!"

It wasn't so much that he wanted her to be silent, but the decibel of her voice was grating. Now he remembered why he never fucked her after the first time. Pounding harder, he hiked her leg up over his hip and drove into her over and over, until he growled with completion, coming into the condom he wore. He didn't trust her enough to use a contraceptive spell. It was a known fact that certain girls applied counter curses to trap wealthy Wizards. Besides, he had no idea who else she'd been fucking.

He rolled off her and reached for his pack of cigarettes in the pocket of his trousers on the floor. It was a habit he'd picked up off a few of the artists in his workshop. He liked the way the smoke felt filling his lungs. Besides, his parents would have kittens if they saw him doing something so - Muggle. It was icing on the cake.

"That's disgusting, Scorp," Eviana said, propping up on one elbow. Apparently she didn't know that the night was over.

"Then, by all means, there is the door," he said, pointing toward his bedroom door.

She huffed at him, "There is no need to be rude!"

He sighed. "Look, I'm not on the market. Whatever my parents told you, I'm not looking for a wife or anything of the kind. Maybe it's best you just leave," he said, taking a long drag off his cigarette.

"You're an asshole, Scorpius!" she shouted, pulling her clothes on quickly and slamming the door behind her. He was just glad she was gone. He'd known it was a mistake to bring her home, but she had a nice rack and he'd forgotten how bloody awful she was.

He continued to breathe in the nicotine as he contemplated his next move. His father would be apoplectic when little Rosier ran off to tattle on him. His mother would not be amused either. They were still banking on a perfect pureblood family. They had another thing coming. One thing Scorpius Malfoy knew, he was playing by his own rules. His art was good. He was happy living on his own, making his own way. He wished his parents were happy for him, but he'd just have to let them come around. He wasn't going to be a 'perfect Malfoy'. He was going to be himself.


	4. Draco Malfoy

**Draco Malfoy**

* * *

_February 2020_

Hermione gave herself a final pep talk before straightening her form-fitting skirt suit and preparing herself to Floo to St. Mungo's. She'd finally quit her job at the Ministry. She was fighting uphill battles every day, and hated the daily grind of government work. She'd only kept the job to fill her time, honestly. She had plenty of money from her inheritance to do whatever she wanted. Comfort was what kept her at the Ministry. She'd decided she didn't want 'comfort' anymore.

That brought her to this meeting. She Flooed to the hospital and made her way to the top floor. _The Board Room_. She wanted to work with the board on a wing dedicated to magical creatures and werewolves. She'd have to get more financial backing, but she felt that she could do it. Confidence was the key to everything. That, and a kick-arse suit. She had both in spades.

"Ms. Granger!" Cornelius Watershed greeted her as she walked into the boardroom.

"Mr. Watershed," she smiled, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Neil, please," he said with a warm smile. She saw him looking down her shirt and smiled. Well, he had good taste.

"Neil," she returned. It was a very Muggle shortening of his name, and she couldn't help but smile at how far her heritage had come in the Wizarding world since the fall of Voldemort.

"Weasley," a gruff voice cut in, and Hermione had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. For every rule there was an exception, and the Malfoys along with a few others in the Pureblood elite had never really warmed to Muggles or Muggle-borns.

"It's Granger," she said politely, although she knew full well that he knew about the divorce. She was sure that his wife gobbled up the gossip rags every day.

"Right," he said, smirking like he used to at Hogwarts. "I remember now."

She just clicked her tongue at his childish antics and pasted on a smile, letting Draco move out of the way for Neil to introduce her to the remaining fifteen board members.

Taking a deep breath, she began her presentation.

* * *

"You really think anyone will go for this, Granger?" Draco asked as he cornered her in the St. Mungo's lobby.

"Yes, I do," she said. She was not going to let the little ferret get a rise out of her. It was what he wanted, and she'd out grown that childish behavior now, even if he hadn't.

"There's no money in it," he pointed out.

"It's not about money," Hermione responded curtly. In reality, she just wanted to get away from Draco and have a drink. She'd given the board a lot to think about and now she needed to calm her nerves.

"Of course it is," he scoffed. "Everyone on the board wants to help people, true. But it's not a charity. Magical creatures have no money. Werewolves have very little. They don't contribute to taxes. Who will pay for them?"

Hermione's eyes blazed, "Just because they have nothing doesn't mean they don't deserve medical care, Malfoy," she spat.

"Always the bleeding heart," he sneered. "You forget, money doesn't fall from the sky. It has to come from somewhere."

"It isn't as if you don't have enough to help the magical creatures of England fifty times over," Hermione pointed out, her tone becoming petulant.

"And why is it my responsibility to care for them all? Have you ever considered, for one moment, that people don't want to take care of them? That werewolves are a danger to society in the first place-"

"That's totally absurd!" Hermione cut in, ready to defend werewolves with all her might.

"First of all, it is true. You would know that if you stopped thinking with your damn feelings and opened your eyes. The vast majority of werewolves have chosen the wild. They prefer to hunt humans than to be domesticated. Secondly, as I was saying, magical creatures can be bred. There are always more of them. Why should we beg patrons to empty their coffers into care of a creature that is replaceable? There are actual human beings dying of diseases we have yet to find cures for," Draco pointed out, and with the way her mouth snapped shut, he knew he'd given her something to think about.

"They aren't replaceable." Hermione said stubbornly.

"Remember that next time you eat your Shepherd's pie. What separates animals from magical creatures?" He just smirked at her with a knowing look before walking about.

_Oh, she hated that ferret!_ She stomped out of the atrium and down to the nearest pub. She needed a drink. After that, she'd plan how to disembowel that elitist arsehole!

* * *

"Mum, for the love of Merlin, you've been ranting about Mr. Malfoy for almost two hours!" Rose finally shouted as her mother ranted at Scorpius' father. She thought he was kind of a jerk too, but why did it affect her mother so much? She'd get the money for the new project or she wouldn't. If she didn't, she could look elsewhere.

"I know," Hermione sighed. "The truth is, he made too good an argument," she finally admitted. "What if the board doesn't go for it? I threw everything I had into this project."

"You'll figure it out, Mum. You always do. Now, tell me what's the deal with you and Scorpius' dad?" Rose said, sipping her tea.

"Oh, were you friends with Draco's son?" Hermione asked, suddenly appalled that she hadn't put two and two together.

"Not really," Rose said. "Al is a close friend. Scorpius came over to a few Quidditch matches this summer at the Burrow." Hermione almost choked thinking of a Malfoy flying around the Burrow.

Rose chuckled, "Don't worry. He's nothing like his father if your endless raging holds any truth."

"I'm sorry I let you see that. Draco Malfoy is a reminder of a very painful time in my life. I know it's not fair, but I can't help hating him," Hermione explained.

"It's okay, Mum." Rose said. "No one's perfect. Not even you." Hermione stuck her tongue out at her daughter in response.

"You're too kind to me, my dear daughter. But enough about me, how is the Healer program going? We haven't chatted since your first test." Hermione always loved hearing how her children were doing. It made her feel good that she'd prepared them enough to be successful outside of her home.

Rose perked up at this. "I scored in the top 5%," she answered proudly. "Starting next month we will be shadowing actual healers. I can't wait."

"And Teddy?" Hermione asked, unable to stop herself. She saw heartache ahead for her daughter who was in love with a boy who seemed to be confused about what he wanted. Her daughter's blushing was enough to tell her something had happened there.

"He kissed me," Rose admitted, a smile playing on her lips.

"Really?" Hermione said casually, letting Rose tell the story however she wished.

"Oh, I don't know," Rose finally said with a sigh. She was glad she had her mother to talk to about these things. She knew she wouldn't be judged and she'd get the best advice. "He runs so hot and cold. Victoire is still around. He says they are just friends, but I know it's more than that. He leads her on, if nothing else."

Hermione nodded sympathetically. "I know you don't want to hear this, but it sounds like Teddy is trying to have his cake and eat it too."

"Relationship problems always turn you into a walking cliché," Rose said with a smile. She liked to tease her mother, knowing she never took it the wrong way.

"They are clichés for a reason, my dear," Hermione pointed out. "I just mean, he may like you more than Victoire, but it doesn't seem like he wants to give her up as an option too. It's okay for young people to be indecisive and want to play the field, but it's not conducive to protecting your heart."

"I know." Rose nodded. "I just don't understand. I know I shouldn't let him string us both along. I know that, and still..."

"It's so much easier to know something's right than to do something right," Hermione said.

"Mum, can I tell you something if you promise not to judge me?" Rose said, taking her teacup to her lips once more to dry her parched lips.

"I can never promise that I won't tell you what I think, but I can promise you that I would never judge you for how you feel," Hermione said, looking at her daughter seriously.

"Sometimes, I don't care about Victoire," Rose admitted after a moment's pause. "Sometimes, I just know that if Teddy could be with me he'd want to leave her. Sometimes, I think about giving myself to him in hopes that it would change his mind." Rose's voice sounded guilty as she made her confession and her mother just sat there silently for a moment, letting her daughter's words sink in.

"What you feel is not unreasonable," Hermione said after taking a few moments to think. She wanted to make sure she said the right thing. Her daughter was still young and innocent in many ways. She wanted to empower Rose, but using her her body to get a boy's attention...she could strangle Teddy for making her daughter feel this way.

"Rose, you know I've always been open with you about sex. It is not dirty or shameful. It _is_ however something to be taken seriously. If, in order to keep Teddy, you have to sleep with him before you are ready, do you really think that would be a relationship that could last?"

"No," Rose said. "I know that. But sometimes I don't care."

Hermione smiled at that. "Just be careful. Teddy is a good boy but he's not in the same place in life that you are. You've always been more mature than the rest. I blame myself for that," she smirked.

"I'm sorry to bring the day down," Rose said.

"Nonsense," Hermione said. "It's better than talking about Draco Malfoy."

* * *

_June 2020_

"Yessss," Hermione hissed as Jean dug his fingers into her hips and pounded into her from behind. This French vacation was the best idea she'd ever had.

"Fuck!" He cried out, tilting his hip back to hit her g-spot. How had she lived without sex like this? He grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled her back against him so he was still fucking her while her back was pressed against his front.

His hand snaked down her front and flicked her clit like an expert. "Ahhh!" she cried, her body trembling as her orgasm approached. Her back arched and she came with a loud moan, as she felt his cock pulse inside her.

He grunted as he came inside her, slipping out of her quaking pussy as they both collapsed on the hotel room bed.

"Wow," she said.

"You always sound so surprised," he said with a light French accent. He chuckled to himself.

She smirked. "You have no idea how new 'good sex' is to me."

"Shame," Jean said, propping up on one arm to look at her naked body. "Shame you have to go back, too."

Hermione smiled. "I know. It's been a really great trip, but I miss my kids."

"I understand," Jean smiled. "If you are ever back in Paris, please look me up."

"How romantic," Hermione giggled.

"If I thought I could tie you down, I would try. But I know what you're after," Jean said with a shrug.

"Oh?" Hermione asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. "And what is that?"

"You want the experience. You want to feel and not think," Jean said. "You spent 20 years thinking and not feeling. You aren't ready for anything serious."

"Oh, three weeks of fucking and now you know me," she said, but smiled because he was right.

"I know enough. It does not mean I wouldn't love it if you decided to settle down right here in Paris," he admitted.

"Sorry, too far from my kids. Besides, I've got to get back to work on the magical creatures project."

Jean nodded in understanding. He was the first wizard she'd been with since her divorce. Being in Paris made her feel more comfortable about going out in public. It had led to a couple of articles in 'Witch Weekly', but overall no real scandal.

"Yes, and do let me know if you would like me to look into possible French donors," Jean offered.

"I will," Hermione promised. All in all, she was pleased with her romantic affair in Paris.

* * *

"You coming?" Al asked, as he eyed Scorpius who was sitting on the couch with a book.

"No. I work that bar six days a week. I'll stay away on my night off if you don't mind," the blonde said. He was beat. He'd been working long hours at the bar all while trying to complete a collection for his first official gallery showing in November.

"Killjoy." Al said with a grin. "I swear, you are like an old man."

"Ha-bloody-ha," Scorpius said sarcastically. "You don't need a wing man tonight anyway, Al."

"True," Al said. "Well, if you change your mind..."

"I know where you are," Scorpius assured him. When Al was gone he sighed and placed the book on the table, getting up to make a strong cup of coffee.

He still had to finish his latest piece of work tonight. It would take at least four hours. He rubbed the eyebrow ring above his left eye, a nervous habit he'd picked up since he got it pierced two months ago. He was honored that his instructor had chosen him for the showcase, but it was hard work.

He dug out the iPod he'd bought and grabbed his keys before walking out the door and locking up the flat. He and Al had moved to a nice little complex in the Wizarding section of London, but he most enjoyed working on his art in the Muggle world. He rented out space in his University's art complex and did all his work there. Not even Al had seen what he was working. on.

In reality, his work would have likely been banned in Wizarding England. In his first seminar, when he'd learned of Transgressive Art, he knew he wanted to try his hand at it. He was just a little too rebellious not to want to curl the hair of all the elites he's grown up around. However, he wasn't confident enough to want to share his work with anyone but the Muggles in his classes. What he was doing could have been seen as a violation of the Secrecy Statute, although he was certain anyone could argue his work abstract enough that a Muggle wouldn't never discover the Wizarding World because of it.

He flipped on his iPod and placed the earbuds in his ears as he looked at the latest piece. He let the emotions wash over him as he looked at the vision a violent Muggle murder scene he's painted in the foreground as his depiction of the Ministry watched with faces turned up in satisfied smirks. He picked up his brush and continued where he'd left off.

What he wanted to do with his art, both sketches and paintings, was say all the things he wanted to say about the dying Pureblood elite. He never had the courage to tell his father or mother how stupid and racist he'd thought they'd been. Instead he let it seep into his work. Harsh lines and Dark Marks cluttered the pages of his sketchbook, pushing him toward his ultimate goal. A real emotional depiction of what it was like to be the child of a Death Eater.

* * *

"And that bloke you were dating in France?" Hugo questioned his mother.

"Just a friend," Hermione said.

"Not what it looked like," Hugo muttered.

"Does it bother you?" Hermione asked. "That I am seeing other people?"

"Not really," Hugo said uncomfortably. "I want you to be happy, it's just weird."

"It's only weird because it's unusual," Hermione explained. "If it bothers you, I want you to talk to me about it."

"Fine," Hugo said with a sigh. He still wasn't sure how he felt about his mother's romantic entanglements being all over the _Prophet_. She was his mother after all. It was strange to think of her as a woman as well.

"I don't want you worried about anything but your last year at Hogwarts," Hermione said, hugging him close.

"Mum, I'll be fine," Hugo assured her.

"I know you've never been as focused on studying as Rose or me, but this is an important year," Hermione reminded him.

"I know, mum," Hugo agreed.

* * *

_September 2020_

"Mum, seriously," Hugo said with a frustrated sigh.

"I know, I know," Hermione said dabbing her eyes. "When you are old and have your youngest child go off to his last year at Hogwarts, you try not to cry." She stuck her tongue out at him for good measure.

"I'll be back for Christmas before you know it," Hugo promised.

"I know," Hermione said, pulling him in for one last hug. She refrained from kissing him, as he'd already explained that it was embarrassing, and watched him climb the steps onto the Hogwarts Express for the last time.

When the train was out of sight, she didn't wait around before leaving through the 9 3/4 platform. Almost immediately she bumped into Draco Malfoy. "Malfoy?"

"Fancy running into you here," he said, clicking his tongue against his teeth.

"You mean, Fancy seeing me outside of King's Cross at 11:05 on September, first when you know very well it's Hugo's last year at Hogwarts?" she asked cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Still mad then?" Draco said, not answering her.

"Of course I'm mad, you bloody moron," Hermione nearly screeched but kept her voice down. The last thing she needed, on top of rumors about her sex life, was to be seen fighting with Draco Malfoy.

"I warned you how it would play out," Draco pointed out, taking her arm in his and leading her toward Diagon Alley."

"Malfoy, what the fuck do you think you are doing?" She asked trying to pull her arm away but failing as he held it tighter.

"I want to talk. As I know you have a flair for the theatrics, I thought it best we go somewhere else," Draco said.

"If you don't want to be seen with me, don't you think it would be better to go somewhere Muggle?" she asked, smirking when she saw his features twist with distaste.

"Fine, lead the way," he finally said. Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock, but she agreed and led him toward Muggle London instead. Whatever he wanted had to be important if he was willing to lower himself to being anywhere in the Muggle world. Not that she particularly cared what he had to say. He'd gotten the entire board of St. Mungo's, with the exception of Mr. Watershed, to deny her any monetary assistance for her Magical Creatures project. She was having mild success with private donors, but it was going to delay the project indefinitely.

She finally settled on a dingy coffee shop near the entrance of Diagon Alley. It was petty, but she didn't care. She didn't understand why Draco couldn't just get over himself. He'd changed sides in the war. He renounced Voldemort. Why was he such a little priss about Muggles and blood purity still?

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked, as she sat down with her coffee. Draco, of course, refused to order anything. Probably assumed it was poisoned.

"Not very friendly," he said, finally getting his swagger back.

"For fuck's sake, Malfoy. What do you want?" Hermione asked again.

"I want to donate to your project," he finally said.

"You have got to be kidding me." Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Very funny. Are you through?"

"I'm serious, Granger," Draco said. "While I don't think it's a good project for the board of St. Mungo's, I have no personal opposition to the project."

"Okay, I'll humor you," Hermione said. "Just how much do you plan to donate?"

"Fifteen million galleons," Draco said as if he'd just pledged fifteen sickles. Hermione nearly spat her coffee all over him.

"That's more than half of the entire project," Hermione exclaimed. "You could have saved me a lot of trouble and just donated this money from the beginning."

"Well, the money comes with some strings, and I wanted you to see how difficult it would be to raise this amount of money before I offered," Draco pointed out honestly.

"You are a real bastard," Hermione growled.

"That's no way to talk to your top investor. Now, would you like to hear the conditions?" Hermione was seconds away from telling him to take his money and shove it. But it had been hard to raise the ten million galleons she's amassed thus far. Maybe if they weren't too constricting, she could work with Malfoy's conditions. Feeling as if she was about to make a deal with the devil, she motioned for him to continue.

"First," Draco started, "I want all werewolves treated to undergo observation and tracking. I know you think all werewolves are like Remus Lupin, but I know differently. An entire pack of them lived in my home when the Dark Lord took over. They are vicious and violent. You're naiveté is helping no one." Hermione just scowled at him and remained silent. Otherwise she was likely to be thrown out of the coffee shop for hexing his pretty little face off.

"Second," he continued, "I'm to be kept abreast of all progress with the project and be a vocal partner in it." Hermione sighed, she'd expected that.

"Anything else, Malfoy?" she asked, irritated.

"Yes," Draco said. "One more thing. Please keep your personal liaisons more private. It does the project no good when you are caught leaving a new man's home every other day, and Muggles to boot!"

Hermione saw red at that insult, "Listen to me you little ferret! What I do and who I sleep with is none of your business."

"How do you think it looks?" Draco pointed out. "You look and act like a call girl. Do you think anyone wants to invest in a business run by a woman who can't keep her legs closed?"

Hermione slammed her cup down on the table. "This meeting is over. I see the real purpose of this meeting was to tell me I'm a slut. Now that you have that out of your system, I'll be going. Perhaps you should go home and relieve your own sexual tension instead of paying attention to what I'm doing."

"That's the deal," Draco said. "I could care less who you fuck, just keep it out of the papers," he said, getting up from his chair. "You know where to find me."

* * *

_October 2020_

Scorpius was nearly finished with his collection. It consisted of 5 pieces; one sketch and four oil paintings. They were not the most controversial Transgressive pieces by Muggle standards, but they would make the Wizarding world's head spin. Not that he was planning on anyone but Al ever seeing them.

He'd stepped up his work schedule, hoping to amass enough money to pay for his next semester at university and supplies for a sculpture project he was thinking of doing.

He actually liked his job most nights. It was only the weekend he hated. He hated all the university crowd coming in, demanding microbrew after microbrew while trying to get barely legal girls drunk enough to go home with them. It was all so...hollow.

He guessed he couldn't be too judgmental. At one time, he'd been like that. He's slept his way through plenty of girls at Hogwarts, and even in the year since. It was getting old. All the women were the same. They had no imagination. They were seeking something from him; validation, self-esteem, respect? He didn't really know what they wanted, but he doubted very much he gave it to them. They certainly gave him nothing but a keener understanding of how alone he actually felt.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Now he was just being maudlin. Al always told him he was too serious. It wasn't that. He knew how to have fun, but he wanted more out of his relationships. Everything seemed so superficial. Every woman he met was interested in 'having fun', whatever that meant. They were all about as deep as a puddle.

"Scorpius, stop sulking and pour me a drink," Albus said, holding up his empty glass. Scorpius smiled at his friend. At least he had Al. He was the perfect blend of 'fun' and intelligent. Plus, he loved the Muggle world as much as Scorpius did.

* * *

Hermione made it nearly two months before she cracked. The truth was, she couldn't get any more investments without the donors knowing they wouldn't be alone. She needed Malfoy. _Fuck_.

She waited patiently as his secretary informed him she was there and smiled tightly when the young woman led her to his office. "Well, Granger, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Draco asked, his voice showing that he clearly didn't think it was a pleasure.

"If you are still willing to contribute, I'd like to agree to your terms," Hermione said.

Draco smirked. "I knew you would."

"Mmhmm," Hermione said distractedly, just wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.

"We can hash out the details later, but this means you will have to be discrete in your...liaisons… starting now." Draco said, smirking that awful smirk at her.

"You are a pig," she spat.

He ignored her. "Why waste your time with those Muggles anyway? You are a witch, are you not? Perhaps not of the best blood, but you are a witch. Stick to your own," Draco said.

"It is absolutely none of your business who I choose to sleep with," Hermione said through gritted teeth. "I will endeavor to keep my private life more private, but I will do whatever I please. You will not change that," Hermione huffed.

"As you wish," he said, with a shrug. "You may go now."

Oh, how she wanted to punch his stupid face! She hadn't felt so irrationally enraged since her days at Hogwarts. He'd always been able to get a rise out of her. She'd remembered the first time she saw him, she thought he was beautiful. She was soon introduced to his horrid personality and got over that quickly.

She knew that he'd been raised a certain way, but that only excused so much. Right now, she wanted to kick him in the shins and dance on his face!

"Fuck you, Malfoy," she muttered. "When I get enough money to pay you back, I want you out of my life."

"_If_ you ever get the money to pay me back," he countered. She resisted the urge to growl at him and slammed the door behind her.

* * *

By her second drink she'd rationalized her situation. She didn't have to change much of anything. As annoying as it was, with that kind of donation, Draco was entitled to some oversight. As far as her love life went, she could be more careful. If the number of people she'd slept with of late had made it into Malfoy's radar, perhaps a little discretion wasn't a bad idea anyway. It really didn't change the fact that it was absolutely out of line for him to demand such a thing in the first place. If she'd been male, no one would care how many people she slept with.

And what did he care if she slept with Muggles more often than Wizards? It was more discrete for one, and two, he would probably lose his mind if she sullied the bed of a good little Pureblood.

Ugh, she didn't want to think about Draco Malfoy anymore. She was letting him get too far under her skin.

"Would you like another?" a silky voice asked, and she looked up to find the face of the man she was mentally beating to a pulp staring back at her.

"Umm, uhhh..." she stuttered. "Y-yes," she finally said, shaking her head to clear the fuzz. She watched as he walked down the bar and began making her third martini. He hadn't been the tender to make her first two drinks. Clearly there had been a shift change.

He looked delectable in the skin tight dark jeans and fitted black shirt hugging him in all the right places. But he looked just like Draco Malfoy had 20 years ago. She remembered that Draco's son, Scorpius, looked just like his father, but she couldn't believe for one moment that a Malfoy would work as a bartender in a Muggle pub.

When he came back he smiled brightly at her, his features more beautiful than she ever remembered Malfoy looking. "Thank you," she said, taking the drink from his hand.

"You're Mrs. Weasley, aren't you?" the blonde man asked, pushing his hair out of his face and revealing an eyebrow ring. Hermione felt like she'd been pulled into the Twilight Zone.

"Um, yes. I mean, it's actually Granger, now," she explained. "How do you..."

"Oh, I've seen you before. At the Burrow," Scorpius explained. "I'm friends with Albus. My name is Scorpius." He stuck out his hand and Hermione felt a little light headed as she reached out to shake it.


	5. Desire

**Desire**

* * *

Scorpius had just come in for his shift when he saw her. She looked ready to chuck her martini glass against the wall at any moment, and as a bartender, he couldn't help but notice that glass was empty. It was reason enough for him to approach her.

She looked gorgeous in a way he couldn't remember seeing a woman look in real life. Her tight fitting wraparound green dress showed off all her curves, and she had many. He remembered her in a second. She was Rose and Hugo's mother; the stunning woman he'd seen from afar a few times at The Burrow.

He looked around. The place was mostly empty. It was a Wednesday night, after all, and still a bit early. She still didn't notice him as he moved directly in front of her. "Would you like another?" He asked almost laughing when she looked up at him, startled out of the violent murder she was probably planning in her head.

When she saw him, she looked as if she'd seen a ghost and he was pretty sure she was remembering his father. "Umm, uhhh...Y-yes," she stuttered, and he smiled back before taking her glass and moving down the bar to make her another. A weaker one this time. He didn't want her to get drunk and find herself in trouble.

When he returned with her drink, she smiled up at him, seeming to have recovered from her shock just a bit. "Thank you," she said, and he smiled back. _Merlin, she was beautiful_.

"You're Mrs. Weasley, aren't you?" He finally asked, knowing she probably didn't know him, other than that he was a Malfoy.

"Um, yes. I mean, it's actually Granger, now," she said, her eyes wide with confusion. "How did you..."

"Oh, I've seen you before. At the Burrow," Scorpius explained. "I'm friends with Albus. My name is Scorpius." He stuck out his hand and watched as she gracefully stuck her own out to shake his. Her skin was warm and soft and he almost groaned at the contact. Clearly, it had been too long since he'd been with a woman.

"Are you okay?" he asked when she didn't drop his hand but continued to stare at him.

"Oh, yes," Hermione said dropping his hand immediately and blushing. "Sorry, I just...well, I know your father and..."

Scorpius smirked at that, leaning against the back of the bar and crossing his arms over his chest. _Fuck, he looked good_. Hermione almost felt her mouth watering. She was ashamed that she was ogling a guy her daughter's age, but those Malfoy genes..._damn_.

"Didn't expect to see the heir of the Malfoy fortune working in a Muggle pub?" he filled in, lifting his pierced eyebrow at her.

"Definitely not," she said, finally relaxing when she realized this man was nothing like his father.

"He'd probably have a heart attack if he knew, but he told me to make my own money, so..." Scorpius shrugged, "here I am." He noticed a patron sit at the other end of the bar and excused himself to serve him.

Hermione couldn't help herself, she watched him the whole time, his muscled arms flexing as he handled the bottles and glasses around him. She felt herself grow wet just watching him, and she was just buzzed enough not to really care. He was good looking. He was an adult. It wasn't as if he was still a child. He certainly didn't _look_ like a child.

Nevertheless, he _was_ Draco Malfoy's child. Of all the times to run into him, just at the moment when she'd have liked to kill the Senior Malfoy. Scorpius looked up at her as he finished the man's drink he was working on and smirked. _Holy fuck that should have been criminal_. It was as if he had all the physically appealing attributes of Malfoy, but he wasn't a pompous arse. She knew, if Albus was friends with him, he had to be the right sort.

She wondered if Draco would have been such a colossal arsehole if he'd grown up in a different time. At the moment, she wasn't inclined to give the man any credit. But he did make a very fine son. _Merlin, I'm practically drooling_. She darted her eyes back to the bar top in front of her and took another sip of her drink as he made his way back over to her.

"Sorry, about that," he said, leaning against the bar so that he was almost in her personal space. The smile on his lips was genuine and she wondered, for a moment if he was flirting with her. It certainly appeared that way. It was so inappropriate, but it made her stomach clinch in ways she couldn't remember it having ever done.

"No problem. It is your job, after all," Hermione said in a teasing tone.

"I'd much rather stay and chat with you," Scorpius admitted. _Yep, that's flirting_. The situation was so absurd, and still, she couldn't help but smile in response.

"You flatter me," she said, sipping her drink seductively, and it was all he could do not to pull the drink from her perfect lips and lift her onto the bar, fucking her within an inch of her life. In the back of his mind, he kept reminding himself that she was Rose's mum, but it was having little effect.

"So, what brings you in here?" Scorpius asked. "It's a bit of a dive."

Hermione chuckled. "I wanted to get away from the Wizarding world, and it was closest to the entrance," Hermione admitted.

"That we are," Scorpius laughed. "But why are you here alone, Ms. Granger?"

"Hermione, please," she responded immediately. If he called her 'Ms. Granger', it reminded her of his age. The current thoughts she was having about him made her wish to forget his youth.

"Hermione," he repeated, the words sounding like sin on his lips.

"I had a meeting today," she admitted, though she didn't plan to tell him it was with his father. That was too weird.

"Must have been quite a meeting," Scorpius smirked.

"Are you mocking me, Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione cocked her eyebrow at him, a smirk playing on her own lips.

"Scorpius, please," he purred leaning in a bit closer. She was flirting with him, and he felt a wave of excitement at the thought. He'd never been with a _woman_ before. It was exciting in a way he'd never felt when dating. The bell on the door jangled, and he pulled back from her. He could tell she was disappointed and he smiled to himself. Oh yeah, she wanted him.

"I've got to get that," he said, indicating the four people who'd just walked in and taken seats at on the tables.

"Go right ahead," Hermione smiled. "I'm just going to go anyway." She had to get out of there before she did something incredibly stupid. He was flirting with her, and she was flirting with him. That was one thing. If she sat at the bar drinking any longer, though...

He frowned. "I get off at midnight," he blurted out as he watched her drop enough Muggle money on the bar next to her empty drink. He didn't know what possessed him to say it, but he didn't want her to walk out of there without opening the door for later communication. He was drawn to her, and he really didn't feel like questioning it.

She just looked at him puzzled, flipping her hair behind her shoulder as she tried to decipher what he meant. "I know it's late, but I like to get a cup of coffee after work at the cafe across the way. If you are still up, and you want to, we could get a cup together." He wanted to punch himself in the face for how stupid and completely un-smooth he sounded.

She looked shocked for a moment, and he was sure she was going to tell him such a meeting would be inappropriate.

Hermione couldn't believe he was asking her out. Okay, so a late night cup of coffee was not exactly a romantic date, but it was a date none-the-less. He was interested. She smiled at him, as she saw him swallow in anticipation of her answer and nodded her head. "Okay," she said. "I'm a bit of a night owl. Shall I just meet you there?"

He nodded his head vigorously, happy she'd accepted and said, "Yes. I'll meet you there, just after twelve."

"Great," Hermione said, turning toward the door. She shook her arse just a little on the way out.

He noticed. _Merlin's tit! _How could he not notice? She was a perfect ten if he'd ever seen one.

* * *

What the fuck did she just do? Hermione paced the floor of her flat for nearly an hour after she got home. All had been fine and good when she was looking at Scorpius Malfoy, sexy as fuck and begging her to enjoy his company. But now that her head was a bit clearer, she realized she'd really gotten herself into a bind.

Everyone knew that a nineteen year old boy...man didn't want just coffee. To tell the truth, she didn't want only coffee either. The fact that fucking Scorpius would absolutely _kill_ Draco Malfoy was just icing on the cake. She found that she felt desired, beautiful, and powerful in Scorpius' presence. She'd been with a number of men since she'd divorced Ron, but she'd never felt like this. She liked the prospect of being the 'experienced older woman' taking on a younger lover. It made her cunt clinch. _Merlin's saggy balls, I'm a deviant. _

But that wasn't the problem either. The real problem was that Scorpius was not just some random guy that she could fuck and never deal with again. The fact that her daughter was acquaintances with him would make things awkward. The fact that he was best friends with her godson...yeah, that was a problem. She'd run into him at the Burrow, most likely. She basically worked with his father now. His _Father!_ Draco Malfoy would have kittens if he ever found out.

She needed to talk to someone, but who the hell could she ask about this? It was definitely something she didn't need being leaked. Forget Draco's ridiculous decree that she be discrete in her love life. In this case, discretion was a given.

The only person she could think of that would not tell anyone and would give her unbiased opinion was Luna. She checked her watch. It was still early. She went to her Floo and called on her friend who was currently on an expedition in Turkey looking for Merlin-knew-what kind of magical creature.

* * *

Scorpius watched the clock tick. He hadn't been this keyed up in a long time. He couldn't believe she'd agreed to meet with him in the first place. He tried to recall everything he'd ever heard about her in passing. Of course, his father had an unnatural hatred for the women. He always assumed it was because of some sort of childish unexplored crush. The implications of _that_ were too disturbing to even consider.

Al thought she was a goddess. Rose and Hugo loved their mother more than anything. But, from their perspectives, she was an adult, out of reach, somewhere in the heavens. He was hoping to get a more 'down to earth' view of her in a matter of hours.

He made drink after drink waiting for his shift to end. Whatever was about to happen tonight, he had a feeling it would have bigger implications on his life than a typical one-night stand. Frankly, he didn't care.

* * *

"So, you don't think it's wrong? Inappropriate? Desperate?" Hermione asked as Luna calmly told her to 'go for it' with Scorpius Malfoy.

"Why should it be? He's of age. He's attractive - or at least he is to you. You are both single, as far as you know. What's the problem?" Luna asked.

"He's Rose's age!" Hermione said. "I can't even believe I'm considering this."

"Obviously he aroused you sexually," Luna surmised. Hermione just laughed. She was used to her friend's frank delivery of the facts.

"That he did," Hermione said.

"So, sleep with him. It will have one of three results. It will either be disappointing, and you move on. It will be great, and you've had the experience. Or it could be more," Luna said.

"It most certainly could _not_ be more," Hermione asserted forcefully. "This is exactly what I'm worried about. I cannot begin dating a boy my daughter's age. A boy she knows from school. It's preposterous!"

"Why did you say 'yes'?" Luna questioned.

Hermione thought. Well, she said yes because he was gorgeous, and seemed to have more depth than the men she'd been accustomed to acquainting herself with of late. He flirted with her and made her feel sexy. Further, there was the fact that she was really angry with his father. Best forget that last part. "I want him," she said simply.

"Then, I see no problem," Luna said as if it were the final word. "You needn't tell the whole world you are sleeping with him."

Luna was a very reasonable person, even if she was a tad odd. Hermione knew her friend would never steer her wrong. Besides, it was one night. As long as Scorpius could keep his mouth shut, there was little harm in taking him for a ride.

* * *

"Hermione," Scorpius greeted with a relieved smile when he saw that she'd actually shown up. She looked stunning, this time dressed a little less formally, in jeans that could have been painted on and a thin red sweater.

"Scorpius," she returned, with a nervous smile. He sat across from her, crossing one leg over the other.

"Are you nervous?" he asked, his smirk indicated that he enjoyed the fact that he made her nervous.

"Yes," she admitted.

"Why?" he asked.

"You know my daughter. This is highly inappropriate," she said.

"Then why are you here?" Scorpius asked, cocking his head to the side. She almost groaned at the look of pure erotic sexiness on him. _Fuck, I don't stand a chance_.

"Because, right now, I don't care," she admitted, taking a sip of her tea.

His eyes darkened as he watched her carefully, and she felt like she was on display, but her heart raced at the thought of what was to come. There was no question the intent of this meeting. They both wanted it.

"Good," he said, his voice slightly deeper than before. She was amazed at how they were able to have an entire conversation about sex without ever having explicitly said anything. For some reason they related on a higher level. She was itching to find out how that related in bed.

"Would you like to come to my flat?" she asked. If she was going to do this, she might as well throw all her inhibitions to the wind. It was clear that they both wanted it. They were consenting adults, and - _Merlin, he was fucking beautiful. _

"I'd love to," Scorpius said, extending his hand to take hers in it. He felt a tingle of warmth go up his arm and spread throughout his body as their fingers entwined and she led him out of the cafe.

"We should probably Apparate," Hermione said. "It's more discrete."

Scorpius just nodded once and let her wrap her arms around him. Her full breasts pressed into him and he lowered his nose to the top of her head, breathing her in. "Merlin, you are so fucking beautiful," he whispered against her before she pulled both of them into Apparition and dropped them softly on her living room floor.

Hermione raised her head to look up at Scorpius and saw his grey eyes staring back down at her intensely. She reached up and pulled his face down to meet hers, kissing him gently at first.

His hands fisted her hair, and he pulled her flush against him. "Mmm," he moaned as his tongue slipped between her lips and he tasted her.

She pulled him by the front of his shirt, walking backward toward the master bedroom. He felt like he'd never kissed anyone before that moment. She was ravenous but controlled. She was intense but not pushy. His cock was already pulsing before she even pulled him into her bedroom.

Hermione's body was already on fire and he'd only barely touched her, too caught up in their kisses to do much else. Finally, his hands roamed down to the hem of her shirt and his fingers slipped underneath. She hissed at the feeling of his cold fingers against her skin.

"Sorry," he muttered, but she shook her head.

"Don't stop," she commanded, pulling his lips back onto hers as his hands moved up her torso, bringing her sweater with them. She had to break the kiss for him to completely remove her shirt, and she quickly returned the favor, her eyes sparkling with lust when she noticed his pierced nipples. Draco Malfoy would absolutely die if he could see his son now.

"You like?" he asked, a cocky tone to his voice. It would have annoyed her if it weren't for the fact that he had every right to be cocky. Her pussy was dripping wet and she couldn't wait to devour him from head to toe.

"Shut up and kiss me," she demanded, instead, pulling him by the belt buckle back to her, trying to undo it at the same time. As she finally succeeded, and unzipped his torn jeans she let her fingers flirt lightly over his already painfully hard cock.

"Fuck," he groaned, his tongue sweeping out to lick at her lips. His hand moved up to the back of her neck as he pulled her face to his again. "Do it again," he begged.

This time she reached through the hole in his pants and touched the velvety soft skin of his shaft. He growled again her and thrust his hips into her hand.

She'd never been with anyone so eager before. Sure, the men she'd dated were all pleased to bed her, but Scorpius was filled with such intensity, it nearly knocked her over. The heady feeling of being desired like this was addictive, and she pulled her hand way from his cock just long enough to peel his jeans and pants down his legs, letting him kick them off behind him.

She looked at his body, taught and muscled, gleaming in the moonlight from her window and bit her lip in anticipation.

"Your turn," he said, flicking the button of her jeans with his thumb and dragging his index finger down the zipper until her lace blue knickers were staring back at him. His strong hands slid under the material of her knickers feeling the soft firm skin of her arse as he pushed her jeans and underwear down her silky legs.

She kicked off her shoes and let him removed her clothing one leg at a time while she unclasped her front close bra. By the time she'd finished he was already moving up her legs, stopping at the apex of her thighs to breath in the scent of her arousal. Usually, this would embarrass her, but he had a way of making everything sexy.

"Here," she said, pulling him back up to stand before her. She led him to the bed where she sat upon it before him, taking in his bobbing erection staring back at her. She lifted her hand to wrap around the base of him and darted out her tongue to taste the pearl of clear liquid already seeping from his cock.

"Hermione..." he breathed, placing his hands on her naked shoulders as she proceeded to engulf the entire head of his penis in her mouth. Her lips wrapped around him and he was fascinated as he watched her take him in and out, slowly and seductively.

Generally, it was a pain getting girls to go down on him. They almost always treated it like they were doing him a favor, and as a rule were not all that adept at it. He'd all but given up on the idea of a great blowjob, until now. Hermione sucked cock like a pro.

She moved further and further down his engorged shaft, taking more of him into her mouth at a time. He could feel her throat constricting around his head and he threw his head back and closed his eyes trying to hold onto some sort of control. "Fuck, I'm going to come if you don't stop," he finally admitted, gripping her hair in both fists and battling with himself as to whether he should fuck her mouth until he came down her delicate little throat or pull her off of him so he could plunge into her sweet, wet cunt.

Her lips were red and swollen and he pushed her back on the bed as he attacked them with his own. "You taste good," she said, her voice sultry and teasing.

"How do you taste?" Scorpius asked, kissing down her neck to her beautiful tits.

"Why don't you find out?" Hermione posed. She'd never said anything so bold in her entire sex life, but she felt more powerful with him between her thighs than she'd ever felt before. She knew he was in awe of her. She could feel it. She could feel his desire for her seeping out of every pore, and she wanted more.

He groaned something unintelligible as he moved down her body, kissing and licking a burning path to her quaking pussy. She knew she was going to come any moment. He pushed her thighs further apart as he took in the sight of her glistening slit. "So wet," he muttered and she just moaned in anticipation.

His tongue slid from her opening up to the top of her slit and then back down to the hood of her clit, nudging it slightly, and her legs began to quake. "Yessss," she hissed, grasping the blankets on either side of her as his tongue moved in circles directly over her clit.

She thought she might die from the intensity and almost made him move off her to catch her breath until she felt his index finger dip into her opening and move in and out. The slow burn was building up faster and faster and she cried out for more.

He crooked his finger up to hit her g-spot and she moaned again, feeling her body overheat. He rubbed her spot back and forth with that finger as he licked and sucked at her clit. She didn't even want to think about where he'd learned that trick, she was just grateful for it. Her body approached orgasm like a ton of bricks falling from the sky and her breath hitched as she called out, "I'm coming!" and shook from head to toe, coming around his finger for what seemed like minutes.

When she came back to her senses, Scorpius was lying next to her, staring at her with a look of awe and desire etched on his face. "Wow," she said, grinning back at him. It was hard to give two shits about his age when he could do that.

"Yeah," he replied, his chest heaving with arousal, and she pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips, rubbing her sopping wet cunt against his twitching cock.

"Fuck, Hermione..." he gasped.

"Accio wand," she said holding her hand out as her wand dropped right into it. She pointed the tip of it at her womb and said the contraceptive spell before tossing it over the side of the bed again.

She rubbed her pussy against him a few more times before taking pity on the poor boy trembling under her and guided the tip of his cock against her opening. In one slow motion, she lowered her hips down, taking his shaft up to the hilt. They groaned together as she wiggled her hips while letting herself grow accustomed to his length.

"Please," he begged, gripping her hips with both hands. She was so hot, wet, and tight he thought he'd pass out just from the feeling of her surrounding him. She placed both hands on his chest and began moving up and down on him, her walls rubbing all the right places on his cock.

"Scorpiusssss," she hissed, starting down at him, her eyes locking with his as she fucked him, her tits bouncing to the beat of her thrusts. _Fuck._ He could die like this. He kept one hand on her hip while the other moved up to touch one of her breasts. He pinched the tip of it between his thumb and forefinger and felt her pussy clinch in response.

Hermione decided to return the favor and pulled lightly at one of Scorpius' nipple rings and he arched up, growling like an animal. For a moment she wondered if she'd hurt him until he flipped them over so that he was on top of her. "Do that again and you'll really see me lose control," he gasped, slamming into her with more force.

"Promise?" she asked, her breath nearly caught in her chest as she watched him, overcome by lust, barely able to hold onto any kind of control.

He said nothing, so she reach up and pulled on the other pierced nipple. His reaction was instantaneous. What had once been a nice hard fuck, became rough, aggressive and absolutely amazing. She'd never been fucked like this. "Right there," she cried, as his cock bottomed out inside her, causing the most intense kind of simultaneous pleasure and pain she'd ever felt.

He plunged in and out of her, licking and nipping at her neck as his hands held her down to the mattress. He could feel his balls tingling and knew he was close. He prayed to Merlin she'd stay for round two or three. He certainly didn't want this to be over. "I'm close," he warned her, wanting her to be close too.

"Me too," she panted, her legs wrapping around him to pull him even deep her so he hit her cervix with each thrust. "S-Scorpius!" she slurred as she came, hard, around him squeezing his cock as she did. She could feel him pulsating and knew he'd be coming too.

"Hermione..." he groaned, feeling her tight walls clamp down on him. Less than half a second later he was coming, hard and deep inside her hot depths. He collapsed on top of her, letting their orgasms run their course as he felt her fingers run through his hair, and listened to her heartbeat under his ear.

"Fucking amazing," he said, finally rolling off of her body. That was the best sex of his life, hands down. He couldn't even think of a close comparison.

"It was," Hermione replied, staring up at the ceiling instead of looking at him. After the earth shattering orgasm, things started to fall into perspective. She'd just slept with Draco Malfoy's son. The fact that she'd been fighting with Malfoy earlier that day could no longer be ignored. Did she do this to get back at him? She wasn't sure.

The sex was amazing. Mind-blowing, in fact. Scorpius played her body like an expert and she wanted more, but he was nineteen. _Nineteen_. He was a child for Merlin's sake. He was best friends with Albus Potter.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked, turning his body to face her.

"As great as this was," Hermione said, "it was probably a mistake."

"Why do you say that?" He asked, confusion the primary emotion on his face, but she could see hurt there.

"You are young enough to be my son," she pointed out.

"It didn't bother you ten minutes ago," he pointed out, though his tone was not harsh.

"I just..." She started, but she didn't know how to explain what was going on in her head.

"Listen, just relax. No one has to know about us. I can keep a secret," Scorpius said. It was tempting. She sex alone was enough to make her want to give in, but the connection she felt with him was stronger than she'd felt in a long time.

"Sorry, I'm just thinking too much," she said.

"It's okay," Scorpius said. "If you give me a few minutes, I can give you something else to think about."

Hermione couldn't help it. She grinned at him and let him pull her into his arms.


	6. Okay, Let's Do This

**Okay, Let's Do This**

* * *

Scorpius' eyes fluttered open and he could feel the aches and pains of his very long, very erotic night with Hermione Granger. He smiled to himself as he rolled over to wake her up for another go when she realized she wasn't there.

He touched the spot where she'd slept. _Cold._ That meant she'd been gone for a while. It was _her_ apartment. Where could she have gone? He looked at the clock. It was nearly noon. Maybe she had to work?

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly got up. He looked for his clothes and finally found them, thrown in the corner near the door of her bedroom. He quickly pulled them on, feeling a little strange about being in her flat alone. Last night had been amazing, but without having her there in the morning, he wondered if she felt the same way.

It was something he'd love to do again...and again and again, but did she enjoy it as much as he had? She certainly came hard, but maybe she was used to having good sex. He wasn't.

He stalked out of the bedroom and checked the doors until he found the bathroom. Relieving himself, he washed his hands and looked himself in the mirror. He looked like he'd pulled the late shift at the bar. He couldn't help but grin at his own reflection, though. Hermione Granger could fuck him into an early grave for all he cared.

He padded down the hall again and looked around for her. Gone. He sighed and wondered if he should wait for her. Then again, what if she was trying to avoid him? He hoped not, but not leaving him a note suggested that she didn't want to deal with the awkward 'morning after' and probably didn't want to see him again. He felt a pang in his chest at the thought.

On the other hand, if she was in a rush this morning, he didn't want her to think he'd just bailed. He looked around for a quill and paper, finally finding one on an antique desk near the bookcase and wrote her a note.

With one last look around, he decided to go home and see what Albus was up to. Oh Merlin, it was going to be weird knowing that he'd just fucked his best friend's godmother.

* * *

When Hermione woke up, she knew she had to get out of there. There was no way to make 'the morning after' less awkward, and considering that Scorpius might pop up in her life again, she wanted to avoid making things more uncomfortable by having that awkward, 'okay I'll see you later' chat.

So, she found herself on her third cup of coffee in just over an hour. She didn't want to go home, for fear he was still there, but she didn't want to go anywhere else for fear that guilt would overwhelm her.

_Oh, fuck. _ She still had to finalize things with Malfoy - Draco that is. She'd definitely be putting that off for another day. She was supposed to have Rose over for the night. Perhaps some time with her daughter would make her feel better.

It wasn't as if she hadn't enjoyed herself. It was the best night of sex she'd ever had. He was passionate, enthusiastic, and he could go for hours. The dark circles under her eyes were proof enough of that. He was no idiot, either. They had talked - a little - and he was actually very intelligent. He loved Muggle culture. He was an _artist_ for Merlin's sake. He was beautiful, intelligent, and had the depth that she'd been missing in all her other trysts.

But he was also nineteen. He was the son of her new business partner. He went to school with her children. It was royally fucked up. It was sick and wrong...

Or was it? Why was it wrong? He was of legal age, consenting, and more than pleased with his night with her. They'd had fun. She knew she couldn't seek him out again, no matter how much the idea appealed to her, but she was adult enough not to let it affect her relationship with him, however brief, should they run into each other at the Burrow.

The worst part about all of this was that she could talk to no one about it. She'd dragged Luna into it enough as it was. Besides, she knew her friend would tell her that anything she wanted to do, so long as it was consensual and legal, was okay. Luna saw most of life in shades of gray. There was very little that was black and white for her. Hermione liked to think in black and white. It was simpler.

Shaking her head, she looked at her watch. He'd most likely be gone by now, she figured. Putting some money on the table, she took her last sip of coffee and walked out the door to the Apparition station nearby.

Once she was back in her apartment, she tiptoed down to her bedroom and peeked inside. She breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Scorpius was gone. Her room smelled of him, and sex, and she was struck by the fact that he was the first man she'd ever brought someone back to her own place. She hadn't even thought about it at the time, but it was true. It only meant that every time she was in her bedroom, she'd remember how he fucked her so thoroughly.

Really, it wouldn't be like this forever. Eventually, she'd find someone else to have some fun with and forget all about Scorpius Malfoy, she was sure. She walked back down the hall of her flat to the living room and spotted a note sitting on her research desk. Picking it up, she realized it was from him. His handwriting was need and tidy, if a bit scrunched together, it reminded her of Draco's.

_Hermione,_

_I had a great time with you last night. I'm going to assume I woke up alone because you had an important meeting or work. I'd hate to think you were running. Meet me tonight at the same cafe, ten o'clock. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer._

_Scorpius_

She couldn't help but chuckle. He was a forceful and determined lad. She supposed, like he father, he was used to getting his way. Well, it would be a very disappointing conversation for him, but she supposed she owed him some explanation. But what was she going to do about Rose?

* * *

"Mum, it's fine," Rose assured Hermione. "I think I'm going to go out with my flat mates tonight anyway. Why don't we just make a weekend of it this weekend?"

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, her guilty conscious eating at her. She hated to think she was the kind of woman to put her children off for a guy. Plus, she was lying about it. As far as Rose knew, she had a late meeting with an investor.

"Positive," Rose said with a genuine smile. "Besides, I think Teddy is free tonight. Maybe I'll invite him out too."

"Okay," Hermione said with a warm smile. "Just be careful."

"Yes, mother," Rose rolled her eyes, hugging her mother before turning to leave only ten minutes after arriving.

* * *

"Hermione," he purred. This time he'd shown up before she got there.

"Scorpius," she said, not giving into the desire to lean forward and kiss the smirk off his face.

"So, I guess this means you were _not_ running away this morning?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow at her.

"I wasn't running, but I think I should clarify..." Hermione began.

"Clarify what, exactly?" Scorpius asked.

"Last night was great, but it was just one night. That's all it can be," Hermione asserted.

Scorpius just stared back at her for a long moment. It was disconcerting to have him inspecting her like that. She was about to beg him to say something when he let out a deep breath. "Why?" he asked.

"I told you last night," Hermione explained. "You are too young. You know my children. I'm working with your father..."

She was cut off by a deep, sexy chuckle. "You are working with my father? That's just perfect," he laughed harder.

"If by perfect you mean completely inconvenient and frustrating, than yes," she said, tersely. "Just don't think that you are going to use me to get back at your him."

"Don't be daft," Scorpius said, sobering slightly. "While I could care less if my father found out, it would only mean bad things for you. I like you. I have no reason to needlessly hurt you."

Hermione stared back at him. He was so much different than Draco. All the Slytherins she'd known would use _anything_ to their own advantage. Of course, she knew things had changed. Albus Potter was a Slytherin, and he was as kind a person as you could meet.

"I didn't sleep with you to get back at my father, or to be rebellious," he continued. "You are a beautiful woman and I wanted you. I still want you. There is nothing wrong with that. Now, if you tell me that you don't want me, then I'll have to get over it. But I've got a feeling that's not the case."

Hermione wanted to punch him for his calm delivery, but she found she was in awe of him. He was so confident for a man his age. He was so comfortable in his own skin. She'd never felt that comfortable, even now. "It's not that I don't want you," she said, clearing her throat.

"But I have things that I have to consider. I'm not ready for a relationship. I'm too old for you. And I have to think of the impact our being found out would have on my family." It sounded completely reasonable to her brain, but her heart was screaming that her excuses were hollow.

"Does everything have to have a label?" Scorpius asked. "So, no relationship. But does that mean we can't spend time together? Get to know each other? Fuck each other?" Her pussy clinched when he said the word 'fuck' as if his mouth was fucking the word.

"Well, no. But to what end?" Hermione asked.

"Does there have to be an end? Why not just take it as it comes?" he questioned.

"I don't run my life so recklessly," Hermione countered.

"What makes sleeping together regularly more reckless than a one-night-stand?" Scorpius asked, cocking his head to the side in an adorable habit he had when he knew he'd made his point.

Hermione sighed. "And my family? What if they found out?"

"So we won't tell them," Scorpius said.

"You are weakening my resolve," Hermione admitted begrudgingly.

"That was my evil plan," he smirked. "Look, I like you. I don't give up on things I like very easily. It's really better you just give in and let me have my way."

Hermione laughed at that. "Fine," she finally said. "But this _has_ to be kept secret."

"You are wounding my ego, Hermione," he said, clutching his chest in mock pain. "Is being seen with me that embarrassing?"

"No, but when my kids find out - or your father - I'm pretty sure we'll both end up wounded," she said, pursing her lips.

"So, what are you doing tonight?" he asked curiously.

"Well, after you spent so much effort convincing me to sleep with you again, I was hoping I'd be doing you," Hermione said smugly.

"Right answer."

* * *

"Fuck," she groaned as she felt him pump in and out of her from behind, his hands digging into her hips. Now she'd have twice the number of fingerprint bruises on her hips and thighs, but she didn't care.

He took her to new heights and made her forget about everything around her. All she could think about was his thick cock sliding in and out of her and the sexy grunts he made when she squeezed his cock with her pussy.

"Shit, Hermione..." he breathed, his hands moving up her back, the rough calluses on his fingers scratching against her sensitive skin until he had on hand fisted in her hair. He pulled her back against him as he continued to fuck her, with her back against his front. She could feel the piercings in his nipples against her skin as he used his free hand to anchor her against him.

"Tell me you don't love this," he breathed in her ear, his voice rough and dripping with arousal. She just moaned in response, her pussy spasming with desire as she approached her orgasm.

He pulled her hair back, forcing her neck to snap back. "Tell me, Hermione. Tell me you want me to stop fucking you," he grunted. He felt paradoxically powerful and submissive. He knew she wanted him. She wanted him enough that she wouldn't fight very hard to stay away, but at the end of the day, she still held the power. The feeling of being inside her, of feeling her and tasting her, was too strong for him to go without.

"No, don't stop," she begged, her hips pushing back to meet him thrust for thrust. "Please, don't stop," she almost sobbed. He could feel her pussy growing wetter and hotter, and he knew she was close. He loosened the fist in her hair and let his other hand move around her body to flick her clit in time with his thrusts.

"Yes!" She arched back crying out loudly as she came, her voice hoarse by the time her pussy stopped gripping him so tightly. He loved that feeling.

"I'm coming," he warned, fucking her hard and fast for several more thrusts before coming hard inside her pulsing depths.

Hermione collapsed on the bed and flipped around to look at Scorpius as he tried to catch his breath. "So," she started, "if this isn't a relationship, what is it? We see other people? We just fuck?"

"I said it wasn't a relationship in the strictest sense," Scorpius clarified. "I'm not a sharing man. I'd like to have you to myself."

"You sound just like your father," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Probably best we don't talk about him while we are naked, eh?" Scorpius said, cocking his eyebrow at her. She had to agree there. It was weird enough without bringing in reminders of why this was so weird.

"So, you want to be exclusive?" Hermione said. "That sounds a lot like a relationship."

"I'm not going to demand you be at my side every moment. I'm not going to ask you where you are or why you are going somewhere. I just want to get to know you...and fuck you, of course," Scorpius said with a smirk. She smiled back before she could help it. The man was so sexy that she thought she might pass out from the endorphins.

"Okay," she said. She knew she should fight it, but it was really no use. It had taken him less than twenty minutes to convince her to let him back in her bed. Obviously, he had something she wanted. He understood discretion, and he was not demanding. It was perfect actually. Great sex. Companionship. But he was giving her independence, too.

"Fine, you won me over," she said with a crooked grin. He smiled back at her. He didn't want to have to convince her anymore anyway. It was no fun if there was guilt and distress involved.

"My cock works magic," he smirked.

"You are so full of yourself," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"You were full of me not five minutes ago. Didn't hear you complaining." Hermione couldn't help it, she burst out laughing.

That night they stayed up for hours talking. Hermione was very intrigued by the little information Scorpius gave her about his artwork, but she didn't want to pry. She wondered if he'd ever show her any of his work. She genuinely liked him. He was free of all the bullshit and anger the war had instilled in all her friends. It was refreshing.

He, in turn, was glad to find that they had more in common than just fantastic sex. She was smart, funny, and caring. She was a bit of a bleeding heart, but he actually found it adorable. At least she wasn't empty headed. That was what he was used to. Even in when he'd hooked up with the more intelligent factions of his age group, he never felt he could connect to them. They were flighty, or needy, or...something. Hermione was independent, beautiful, and in most ways unattainable. But he had her...at least for the moment.

Her eyes fluttered shut just as the sun was rising, and he pushed back a strand of her hair to look at her beautiful heart-shaped face. "Sleep, Hermione. Just don't run out in the morning." She smiled and snuggled in closer, letting sleep overtake her. He followed closely behind.

* * *

"Where have you been, Scorp?" Al asked when Scorpius finally got home from his night with Hermione. It was nearly 2:00 in the afternoon already. Plus, this was the second night in a row that he didn't come home.

"Out," he said.

"Oh, come one. Who is she?" Al asked, knowing the story had to be good if Scorpius wasn't getting home until the next afternoon. "She must have been really fucking good if you stayed the night."

"I don't kiss and tell," Scorp said with an arrogant smirk. He'd know that Al would want to know every single detail. He'd have to beg him off somehow.

"Oh really? Not as long as I've known you! Come on, man. Tell me!" Al all but begged. Merlin, he was such a gossip.

He sighed, "Look, Al, I'm not going to talk to you about it. This is different from the past. I actually like this woman, and we've decided to be discrete." Merlin, he sounded like a poof.

"What?!" Al nearly screeched. "You mean to tell me you've got yourself a secret girlfriend?" He looked almost giddy.

"Al, you are far too interested in my love life," Scorpius chuckled, hoping to halt Albus' line of questioning.

"But you _never_ commit. Who is it? I swear, I won't tell anyone. Just tell me. PLEASE?!" Al all but begged.

In normal circumstances, it would be a given that he'd tell his best friend about Hermione. He knew he could trust him, and he'd have someone to talk to about the whole thing. But this was very different territory. Hermione was Al's Godmother. Who was to say he wouldn't get mad, or feel the need to tell his family? It was just too much of a risk. He knew what would happen to Hermione if it got out that they were fucking each other. It wouldn't be pretty.

He shook his head. "Sorry, Al," he said. "I'm not budging on this one."

"I'll find out, you know," Al said. Scorpius doubted that, but he just shrugged. Albus was pouting and he didn't want to make the situation worse.

"Don't be mad. She asked me to keep it secret. It's not that I don't trust you." Scorp explained.

"Sure," Albus smiled. "Now, I just have a mystery to solve." Scorpius was relieved that his friend wasn't mad, but he really hoped Al didn't look too deeply into it.

* * *

"Granger, what the hell is wrong with you today?" Draco barked, trying to get her attention for the third time. She'd been staring at him intensely, totally off in her own world.

"Sorry," she said, snapping out of her internal comparison of Draco to Scorpius. She felt strange being around the older man after everything that had happened over the last several days. After she showed Scorpius out the door Thursday morning, she had explained that her weekend was booked but she'd Floo him sometimes Monday. It was hard seeing him go. She actually enjoyed his company.

But now, before her weekend long oasis with her daughter, she had to sit in front of her lover's father to iron out some details on her St. Mungo's project.

"If you are going to be this scatterbrained, maybe I don't want to invest," Draco muttered, but it was loud enough for her to hear every word.

"Fine," Hermione said. "Then I won't have to abide by your absurd stipulations."

"Just pay attention," Draco said, glaring at her. Then he went back to his lengthy list of demands he had for his support of the project. It was going to be a long night. The bruises littering her body were not helping take her mind of Scorpius either.

* * *

"Mum, have you ever done something you knew was wrong and didn't care?" Rose asked, after spooning another portion of ice cream into her mouth.

Hermione swallowed hard. "Yes," she answered, wondering where this was going. "We all have, I think."

"I want to tell you something and I want you to stay calm, alright?" Rose said. She'd been acting strangely all evening, and Hermione'd wondered what was going on with her daughter.

"I'm calm," she said. She had a feeling she knew what was coming and she'd been preparing for it for nearly a year.

"I slept with Teddy last night," Rose said, her voice soft and nervous. Hermione said nothing. "He's not with Victoire. He promised me that he loved me and wanted to be with me but that she was just persistent." Hermione still said nothing. She was processing. Her daughter was nineteen years old. Older than Hermione was when she lost her own virginity. As hard as it was to think of her daughter having sex, she was an adult. Besides, what could she say? She was fucking Scorpius Malfoy who was only a few months older than Rose. _That is a strange thought._

"I love him, mum. I really do. I have for years. He loves me too, I know it," Rose said, getting slightly more hysterical with her mother's lack of response.

"I know, honey," Hermione finally said with a smile. "You've loved him since you were a child."

"Yes, I have," Rose said.

"You know I love Teddy like he's one of my own, but I'm not as sure as you are about his intentions," Hermione pointed out.

"Mum, I swear, he was so sweet and kind..." Rose began, but Hermione cut her off.

"I know, honey. And I'm very grateful that he made your first time special. I just don't want you to be hurt. You are an adult now. These decisions are yours to make. I support you in whatever you choose, so long as you are not doing anything wrong," Hermione explained.

Rose seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I was so worried you'd freak out," she admitted. "I know you've never been judgmental about sex, but...Well, you've also never been fond of my feelings for Teddy."

"That's not true," Hermione countered. "I've always only wanted you to be happy. If it is as you say, and he's chosen to commit to you, I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks, mum," Rose said. "I feel better. There's no way I could talk to Dad about this."

Hermione burst out into laughter at the thought of her having this conversation with Ron. "Certainly not. If you like Teddy's bollocks where they are, you'll keep it from him until the day you get married!"

"Please don't tell anyone," Rose said. "Especially not Uncle Harry. He'd say something to Teddy, and I'd die of humiliation."

"My lips are sealed," Hermione promised. She had a new perspective on her daughter this weekend. Her relationship with Scorpius made her realize that her children were growing up. Rose was an adult. Hugo was almost out of Hogwarts. She's raised two fine people, but it was sort of sad to think about the fact that they were nearly out of her nest for good.

Turning back to their ice cream, Rose changed the subject to work, and Hermione listened as her daughter filled her in on everything in her life over the past three weeks.


	7. Dinner at the Burrow

**Dinner at the Burrow**

* * *

"Let me see that," Hermione giggled, feeling like a teenager again as she climbed over Scorpius and straddled his hips, reaching for the iPod he'd been trying to hide.

"You are going to laugh at me," Scorpius pouted.

"Muggle-born, remember?" Hermione cocked her eyebrow at him. She assumed he was used to being made fun of for possessing so many Muggle contraptions and even going to University in the Muggle world. She found it refreshing. It was as if all the sacrifices of the war were validated. The son of Draco Malfoy was an artist studying at a Muggle University who knew how to use iPods, computers, and a television. _Wow_.

"Fine," he sighed, handing over the shiny, sleek device. She grinned at him as she perused his musical selections. She'd only just gotten back into Muggle music since her break up with Ron. When she was working the daily grind at the Ministry, and raising two kids, she had little time to keep up with Muggle culture.

"What's your favorite?" she asked, leaning back to rest her arse against his thighs. "I've only just rediscovered my love for Muggle music."

"I like the older stuff," Scorpius said. "When I'm painting, I like it hard and fast," he said, grinning and his double entendre.

"I'm sure," she rolled her eyes. "I feel so old," she pouted. "I haven't heard of half of this stuff."

"Here," Scorpius said, holding out his hand for her to give the iPod back. She did and he pulled her down next to him so they could both look at the screen. "These are the ones I think you'd like," he said, opening a playlist.

"Know me that well, do you?" Hermione asked, her own heart beating a bit faster as she felt him chuckle next to her. He had such an effect on her. It was troubling at times, but so exciting.

"Eventually, I'll have you listening to this entire library. For now, we'll start with the easy stuff," Scorpius said, smiling down at her.

"Are you going to show me your studio next?" Hermione asked, smiling up at him, but when she saw him frown she furrowed her brow. "If you want to, I mean..." She felt like she'd really stepped in it. Scorpius had told her very little about what he was actually working on, but she had to admit she was curious.

"It's not that..." he said, looking away for a moment. "I'm worried that if I show you, you might turn me in," he admitted. He felt like he could trust her, but she could really fuck him over if she told the Ministry about his artwork.

"It's not illegal is it?" Hermione asked.

"Not in the Muggle world," Scorpius said with a sigh. "Look, my artwork deals with the war."

Hermione just stared at him for a long moment. "The war?" she repeated. "As in, the war with Voldemort and the Death Eaters?" she clarified. Scorpius just nodded. "What do you mean?" she asked, growing concerned. If he was exposing their world, that could mean terrible things for him. Years in Azkaban to say the least.

"It's personal," he said. "I'm not exposing us. No one in my classes has any idea what my work is about. It's cathartic for me. I need it, Hermione," he said, hoping she'd understand.

"It affects you, doesn't it? Even though you were born after, the burden on Draco's shoulders affects you too," Hermione surmised, her eyes soft as she placed her hand on his cheek. He didn't move from her reach, and she rubbed her fingers against the stubble on his face.

"How could it not?" Scorpius asked looking up at her. "His choices affected my whole family."

"Oh Scorpius," Hermione said, pulling him in for a kiss. Her own family had left the war in the past. She, Ron, and Harry still had an occasional nightmare, but their children lived in blissful ignorance of the trials and tribulations of war. She felt sorry for Scorpius. She knew he didn't want her pity, but how could she not pity him? She experienced it. She understood what the war did to everyone. How could he really understand, or deal with it...

"I'm okay," Scorpius said with a smile. "The art helps and, really I have it so much easier than some."

"True," Hermione said. "When I worked at the Ministry, the first five years after the war, it was all rebuilding and picking up the pieces of people's wrecked lives. We were all wrecked then."

Scorpius squeezed her to his side. "Things got better, though. Look at the world now. Only twenty years later, and people are different. Even my father can see that."

Hermione just nodded. It was true. This was a case where one war led to much better circumstances for nearly everyone involved. Blood purity talk was a taboo. Hogwarts Houses only had friendly rivalries. For Merlin's sake, a Malfoy was happily fucking a 'Mudblood'. That was enough for her.

* * *

Hermione smirked as she watched Teddy try to work up the courage to come talk to her. It was well known in the family that Hermione had a very close relationship with her children and they told her everything. She knew he was worried about her kicking his arse for laying a hand on her baby girl.

She didn't go for those dramatic displays, though. Rose's decisions were her own, and while she might have an opinion, her daughter was an adult and free to do as she wished. It was the only way to learn. Besides, if Teddy was serious about Rose, she'd be pleased to welcome him into their family.

"Teddy," she finally, said, walking up to him as he muttered to himself. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she spoke, unaware of her approach.

"A-Aunt Hermione," he said, looking up at her.

"There is no reason to be nervous, Teddy," Hermione said. "I know about you and Rose."

"Right," he said, taking a deep breath.

"I have no problem with your relationship," Hermione continued. "But I don't have to tell you that once you choose to be with her, that had better be it with Victoire," Hermione said sternly. He nodded at her.

"It's not right to lead either girl on," Hermione said. "That's all I'm going to say about it. From here on, we start over. You are very dear to me, and I want you and my daughter to be happy together," she finished. He seemed to be extremely relieved that she did all the talking and she smirked at him.

"Thanks," he said. "It's weird to call you Aunt Hermione now."

"Why not just call me, Hermione then?" she replied. He smiled at her before they were interrupted by Albus Potter's appearance at the far end of the garden.

"Grandma says the food is ready!" he called.

The whole family, save those still at Hogwarts until Christmas, had been invited over for a huge mid-November dinner. It was Hermione's favorite time of year and she was just happy they'd thought to invite her as well. She'd missed spending time at the Burrow, and enjoyed her visit, but even reconnecting with her family couldn't keep her mind entirely free from lustful thoughts of Scorpius. They had been hooking up every night for the last two weeks, and she was feeling a slight tinge of withdrawal. Just as she entered the house, Hermione nearly dropped dead of shock when she saw his lean form standing in the dining room of the Burrow, helping James set the table. Her heart raced and she realized she hadn't totally prepared for running into him out of the comfort of their Muggle coffee shop, the pub, or her flat.

He looked up at her, his cool gray eyes raking over her body, and she knew at that look. He was thinking naughty thoughts. Her knickers were already wet. Merlin, how did he have such an effect on her?

"Aunt Hermione," Al said, placing his hand on her back as he guided her over to where Scorpius was standing, "I don't think you've met my roommate." According to everyone in that room, she hadn't.

Hermione schooled her features before smiling and holding her hand out to Scorpius. "Aunt Hermione, this is Scorpius Malfoy, Scorpius, this is my Aunt, Hermione Granger" Al introduced.

Scorpius let his fingers linger on Hermione's as he shook her hand, his eyes boring into hers, promising dirty things to come. She almost moaned. "Nice to meet you," she said, her voice stronger than she'd expected.

"Likewise," he purred. No one else seemed to notice, but Hermione felt like mounting him on the table right there.

When she finally retrieved her hand, she decided that distancing herself was probably the safest bet, so she went into the kitchen to see if Molly needed any help. Ron was already there, trying to get a bite of food before the table was set. Molly was whacking him over the head with her dishtowel.

"Need any help?" Hermione asked, feeling a little awkward. She and Ron were on regular speaking terms again, but it was still uncomfortable being around Molly.

"No, dear," Molly said, not as warmly as she used to, but Hermione could tell she was trying. "Everything is all ready."

* * *

Scorpius put up no fight whatsoever when Al asked him to come over for dinner. Apparently, his grandmother had been begging him to bring 'that poor Malfoy boy. It looks as if he doesn't eat at all!' All he knew was that there was a good chance Hermione would be there.

He didn't know what it was about her, but he couldn't get enough. Every time he left in the morning, he wished he could just hunker down in her bed for the rest of his life. He'd never felt like this. A part of him thought he'd get her out of his system after a few weeks. No such luck.

She was beautiful, brilliant, and she always seemed to know exactly what he needed. He knew she was too old for him. He knew she only wanted a bit of fun. He knew it was pointless to get tangled up with her, but he couldn't help himself. How anyone managed to let her get away, he had no idea.

So, when he saw her at the Burrow, her skirt flowing to her knees, more conservative than she usually wore with him, and her button-up shirt straining under the size of her breasts, it was all he could do not to lift her on that table and fuck her until she couldn't walk straight.

It was so erotic seeing her with her family. He knew he could say or do nothing to give them away, but knowing he'd just made her scream his name less than twenty-four hours ago, and her family hadn't a clue, turned him on. He watched as she dashed from his presence as soon as possible and smirked to himself. She wasn't getting off that easily.

* * *

_Fuck._ Even as she tried to maneuver herself to the other side of the table, Scorpius had managed a seat directly next to her. James was on her other side, and that wasn't much better. She'd known little James had had a crush on her since he was thirteen. It was adorable at one time. Now that she was sleeping with a man even younger than he was, it was strange and uncomfortable.

Everyone was chatting around the table, but all she could think of was the feeling of his thigh pressed against hers. "Okay, Ms. Granger?" he asked, the smirk clear in his voice.

"Just fine, Mr. Malfoy," she bit out, annoyed that he knew the effect he had on her, and annoyed that she, a grown woman, couldn't control her own body's reaction. No one paid them any mind, however.

They were discussing something about Quidditch, she wasn't sure what, but all she could do was focus on the food in front of her. She heard Scorpius adding his opinion to as he discreetly placed his hand on her left thigh. _What, in Merlin's name, was he doing?_

She sat still as possible while his fingers moved up and down her thigh, ever growing bolder. He moved his hand down to the hem of her skirt and slid his hand up, feeling the skin of her legs.

Her trembling made him harder and he knew she was equal parts angry with him for touching her in public and incredibly turned on. He continued the conversation the Weasleys were having, only paying the slightest bit of attention as his hand moved further and further up until...

Hermione's legs clamped shut, locking his hand between them as his fingers ghosted over her wet knickers. He had to stop. If they were caught, it would be more than a disaster. It would ruin her family. He had to know this wasn't a game. "Please," she whispered, chancing a look at him.

His gray eyes looked back at her intensely and he removed his hand from her thigh, slowly and seductively running his fingers down her tender flesh. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his hand move back to the top of the table, joining the other as he ate. As erotic as it was to have him touching her in public, they'd have to try that fantasy in a discrete Muggle location.

"Hermione," James said, trying to get her attention on her right.

"James?" she said, turning to face him.

"May I have the potatoes?" he asked, a warm smile on his lips. She cleared her throat and passed them to him. _Yeah, this night was weird. _

* * *

"So, can I come over tonight?" Scorpius asked as he stopped behind Hermione where she watched the gnomes run around in the garden.

"I should say no," Hermione sighed.

"Is that a yes?" Scorpius smirked.

"Of course it is," she said with a rueful smile. "Just make sure Al doesn't get suspicious."

"I'll go home before I Apparate over," Scorpius agreed. He really wanted to kiss her goodbye, but he knew he'd see her soon enough, and besides, he'd pressed his luck for one night.

Hermione followed after him, going inside to say goodbye to everyone. Rose and Teddy had already left. In fact, all of the kids were gone. All that was left were Ron, Lavender, Harry, Ginny, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"I think I'm going to head home," she said, grabbing her coat.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked. Hermione could tell that her friend missed her, but both of them were a bit too proud to admit it.

"Yes, I've got to get together with Malfoy tomorrow to start the planning on the new hospital wing," Hermione explained. Well, it was half true.

"I still can't believe you are working with that ferret," Ron grumbled.

Hermione smiled. Same old Ron. "Well, the sooner I get it finished, the sooner I get him out of my hair."

"Okay," Harry said. "But let's get together this weekend. The five of us," he said. Hermione thought a rectal exam sounded more fun, but she nodded in noncommittal agreement.

She loved her friends, and admittedly, Lavender was easier to deal with than she had been in their Hogwarts days. She had never married, Ron really liked her, and Hermione genuinely hoped they could have a fresh start. Regardless, she felt a little disconnected from them. There was unspoken tension with everyone but Harry, and she hated putting him in the middle.

"Just send me an owl," she said, hoping they wouldn't. With a final wave, and a thank you to Molly, she stepped outside, passed the wards and Apparated home.

She stripped her clothes off as soon as she entered her bedroom and threw them in the hamper. She padded down to the bathroom and started the shower before stepping inside and letting the hot water cascade down her body. It had been a long dinner. The will power it took to stay away from Scorpius was exhausting. She knew she'd need to talk to him about the seriousness of the situation, but she really couldn't do it tonight. All she wanted was her hot shower and to feel him buried inside her.

She was washing her hair when she felt hands wrap around her, and she nearly died of a heart attack. Her eyes snapped open to see a naked, grinning Scorpius staring back at her, pierced eyebrow raised in amusement.

"For fuck's sake, Scorp! You almost killed me!" she screamed, pounding him ineffectually with her fists.

"Sorry," he said. "Just couldn't help myself. Knowing you were in here naked...and wet."

"If you think you are getting into my knickers after nearly giving me a heart attack," she said, but his fingers were already moving toward her center.

"No knickers to get into here," he pointed out, his breath ghosting over her ear. "You know how much I wanted to fuck you in front of your entire family tonight?" he asked, his fingers slipping between her legs, feeling her wet slit.

"It was dangerous," she moaned, but she really just wanted him to dip those fingers inside her and make her come like only he seemed to know how.

"It was hot," Scorpius continued. "It got you wet, and you know it."

"Please, Scorp. Stop teasing," she finally begged, grabbing onto his shoulders and trying to pull herself up. His cock was rubbing against her belly and she moaned as the soft skin teased her overheating flesh.

"Tell me you wanted it as much as I did tonight, and I'll give you what you want," he said, his voice low and seductive.

Hermione wanted to fight it, but it was true. If the situation had been different, she'd have had no problem taking him up to a spare bedroom in the Burrow and fucking his brains out. "I wanted it," she admitted, "but it can't happen."

"Good enough for me," Scorpius said, twirling her around while keeping a hold on her so she didn't fall. He bent her over and took his cock in hand, rubbing her slick folds up and down until she moaned his name.

In one quick thrust, he plunged inside and they both froze, letting the feeling wash over them.

Her legs were pressed together and it made her tighter. Merlin, he could fuck her forever. "Hermione, fuck," he growled ineloquently as he plowed into her hard and fast. She was bracing herself against the shower wall with both hands as he gripped her hips to hold her upright.

Hermione was seeing stars. From the emotional rollercoaster of being scared to death and then minutes later being fucked from behind, she was already light headed. His cock was abusing her cunt in such a sweet way that she knew she'd come any second.

"I'm close," she warned, her pussy contracting with the beginning of her orgasm.

"Come, love," he demanded, reaching up to take one jiggling breast in hand while his other held her hips in place.

"Oh, shit!" Hermione cried, banging her hand against the tile wall as his rapid thrusts made her almost lose consciousness as she came.

He slowed down just slightly as she got impossibly tight around him, and gritted his teeth through it. "Shit, you are tight," he moaned, bringing both hands back around her hips and pulling her back and forth on his cock. "You feel amazing."

"You too," she moaned out, feeling a second orgasm building already. "Please," she cried.

"Want to come again?" he mocked.

"Yesss," she hissed, bucking back to move him deeper inside.

He began long, slow thrusts until he felt his balls contract. "Come with me," he muttered, breathless as he knew he was about to let go any moment.

"Close...so close," she slurred moving his hand from her hip to her clit as she felt herself coming undone. "Scorp!" she cried, her eyes growing unfocused with the sheer power of her orgasm.

"Oh fuck!" he shouted, spurting his seed deep inside her as he involuntarily jerked and shook while his cock pumped out the last drops.

They both sagged against the wall of the shower, the water trickling over them as they worked to maintain enough strength to stand. "Wow," Hermione said. It was becoming a habit, but she couldn't help it. _Scorpius Malfoy was a fucking sex god_.

"Come on, let's get clean," Scorpius finally said, pulling her up. "I've got plans for you tonight." She grinned up at him, dazed from her orgasms, and let him admire her body as he began to wash her.


	8. Tears from a Ferret

**A/n: Sorry it's taken me a little longer than usual. I'm a busy bee! Thanks so much for all your reviews and support. They really feed my muse! :)**

**Tears from a Ferret **

* * *

Scorpius stared at a spot on this studio wall, thinking. His paint-covered hands were folded together as he leaned back in his seat. He'd just finished an extra piece for his showing, which was less than a week away. He'd been inspired of late and he didn't pretend to be ignorant of the reason: Hermione.

She'd come into his life like a whirlwind and he felt lost, confused, and excited, ever since. He gave off an impression of confidence with her, but the truth was that he was terrified that she'd break the whole thing off any moment. She held too much power with him. They'd been together nearly a month and he already felt her in every part of him. He thought about her all the time, spent every night he could with her, and he didn't want to stop any time soon.

Historically, after a few shags with a woman, he got bored. He guessed that was normal for a young man with a few too many intimacy issues. At first, he just figured the attraction was due to her being new and forbidden. The fact that she was witty and brilliant and didn't give a fig about his money also helped. He stared at his latest painting, an interpretation of her naked body, and knew this was not just an infatuation. It might not have been love, but it was something...

However, she always worried. They could only ever go out in Muggle London, and they rarely went out at all. He guessed he understood that. Hermione did have a lot to lose if anyone caught them. He knew his inheritance would likely be in jeopardy if they were discovered, but he didn't care anymore. He used to think that money was necessary for everything. The longer he made it on his own, the more he realized that he didn't need the Malfoy fortune.

He stared at the painting a little longer. Anyone not as intimately familiar with Hermione's eyes and body would never know it was her. He'd painted it, not to be recognized as a naked woman, but to convey the emotions she sparked within him. Her whisky colored eyes were the focal point, while neutral browns and greens abstractly outlined her body and vibrant blue accented her assets. To him it was Hermione. To anyone else it would just be an abstract painting of a woman that obviously meant something to the artist.

With a sigh, he realized he wanted her to see it. He wanted her to see the entire exhibit. He trusted her enough not to turn him in, but she didn't seem to trust him enough not to get them caught, so he wondered how he could get her to come with him.

* * *

"Granger, are you being purposefully obtuse?" Draco drawled.

"Why are you even doing this? Are you trying to torture me? Have you ever heard of a silent partner?" Hermione groaned after the third hour of Malfoy nit picking over her plans to start the new medical ward. Principle construction hadn't even started yet. They just hired the contractor in fact. Still, he insisted on knowing all the ins and outs of her plans.

"I'm not a silent partner," Draco said. "I'm financing more than half of this operation and I'm going to see that it's done correctly." His smug look made her want to punch him in the face.

She let out a low, frustrated growl. "Damnit, Malfoy!"

"Nearly fifty and you are behaving like a child," Draco rolled his eyes.

"N-NEARLY FIFTY?" she shouted. "I'm the same bloody age as you, you arrogant, prick!"

"Is that any way to talk to your primary investor? You wouldn't want the plans to fall through, would you?" Draco said, an innocent smile on his face. She hated him.

"Are you going to threaten me through this entire process?" Hermione asked.

"Probably," Draco said with a shrug. "Although, I should commend you on how well you've kept up at least part of our bargain. The media seems to have lost interest in you now that you are not slagging around like a common whore." Hermione's face grew red with the effort it took not to hit him. "Of course, it could just mean the men in Wizarding England have finally acquired a bit of taste." She felt anger raging in her. In that moment, she really wanted to tell him that, not only did a wizard want her exclusively, but it was his own bloody son. Years of practice with her own self-control were the only thing that stopped her.

She counted to ten in her head before responding. "Malfoy, why does my love life interest you so much? Are you sure you aren't jealous?"

His face twisted in disgust. "Of course not. How anyone could find a know-it-all like you attractive, I'll never understand." Hermione believed him, sort of. Even if he did find her attractive, the thought of being with her _did_ honestly disgust him. So why the hell did he care who she was fucking?

"You know what?" Hermione said, placing enough money for her half of drinks on the table. "I'm done for the night. Go harass someone else." Picking up her handbag and briefcase, she stormed out of the bar. One more second with that arsehole and she'd hex him into next week.

* * *

The first thing Scorpius heard when he Flooed into Hermione's apartment was muffled sobbing; real, hyperventilating sobbing. "Hermione?" he called, toeing his shoes off as he made his way to her bedroom.

Worried, he pushed the door open and found her in the most ghastly flannel nightshirt, hair a mess, crying into her pillows.

For a moment, he contemplated running. Clearly, she was too enthralled in whatever upset her to even know he was in the room, or the apartment. He didn't know how to deal with a situation like this. Girls his age were emotional, sure, but that was usually something they hid from him, and in the moment he appreciated that. He was out of his depth.

However, he didn't want her to think of him as some immature kid who couldn't handle an emotional situation or couldn't give her what she needed other than some serious shagging . Hesitating at the door for just a moment longer before coming into the room and kneeling by the bed, he placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder and shook it lightly.

"Love," he said softly, getting her attention as she bolted upright, her eyes and nose running down her face. She was red and swollen and it appeared she'd been crying for quite a while.

"Scorp!" she shrieked, shocked to see him there, and embarrassed that he'd seen her like _this_.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked as he gently scooted her back on the bed and climbed on next to her.

"N-Nothing," she said, her face crumpling and tears taking over again. He looked scared and she felt bad, but her emotions were too out of control. She had to give him major points for even sticking around when she must have looked a hot mess.

"Come here," Scorpius said, opening his arms for her to come into them. She hesitated for a moment before burying her head in his chest, the satisfaction of totally biased comfort too much to refuse. He was there, wasn't he? He wasn't running way.

Scorpius, for his part, was very concerned. Whatever happened to Hermione had made her devolve into an emotional wreck. He hoped it was nothing serious. He ran his hands through her hair and kissed the top of her head as she cried into his chest.

"I hate him," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "I hate him so much!" Scorpius had no idea who 'he' was, but he couldn't help the possessive feeling that erupted in his chest, and how he'd like to murder whoever made her feel like this. He said nothing, though. It seemed best to just hold her as she cried.

She ebbed and flowed. At times it seemed like she might be finished and then a fresh crop of tears would hit her. He stayed through all of it and Hermione deeply respected that. She clung to him like a lifeline as all the emotions over the last few years hit her and she tried to cry her way through them. She cried about her failed marriage and her broken friendships. She cried with fury at Draco Malfoy and his ability to make her feel less than dirt with only a few words. Everything that she had been bottling up and suppressing finally bust forth.

Her breath was coming out in shuddering pants as her tears subsided, and her body felt like she'd been working out for hours. It was amazing what a good long cry did for the body and soul. "Thank you," she said in between harsh breaths.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Scorpius asked, relieved that the crying was finally over. Hermione pulled away from him long enough to grab a tissue from the side of her bed and wipe her face.

"I don't think I should..." she said, biting her lip. It was too weird to talk about Draco with Scorpius.

He leaned against her pillows and studied her carefully. He wanted her to open up to him, no matter what it was. "Please," he finally said, his voice small and vulnerable.

She considered the fact that she was currently exclusively involved with Scorpius and working weekly with Draco, and realized the likelihood of keeping them completely separate without going mad was slim. If Scorpius didn't want to talk about it, he'd let her know.

"I've been working with your father," she finally said, her breathing having evened out and her voice husky from tears. She propped herself up on one hand as she faced Scorpius.

"I know," he replied, worried about whatever his father must have done to make her cry like this. He knew they had a history, but to be honest, he didn't know the details.

"I don't know if it's appropriate to talk about your father with you," Hermione said, finally. "I know that I wouldn't want Rose or Hugo to stand for the person they are...dating...talking about me."

"My father and I have a complicated relationship. As of now, we have no relationship at all. I know he's no saint. My priority right now is you. I want to help you. I want to listen," Scorpius explained. He knew this was probably a turning point in their relationship. Would Hermione continue to think of him as Draco's son, or would he become his own man in her eyes?

She was silent for several minutes and he thought, perhaps, she'd decided that he couldn't escape the shadow of his father in her eyes. "When he chose to invest in my project he had conditions," she began.

"Of course he did," Scorpius rolled his eyes. His father always did take that Slytherin 'cunning' to the furthest degree. He had his own ambitions and could be cunning when he needed to be, but he never really understood the older generation's obsession with _proving_ they could be get the upper hand just for the sake of it.

Hermione snorted in amusement at that. "He wants to be a part of all the decisions. A job that could take a week will take three at the rate he's slowing the process down."

"But that's not why you were crying," Scorpius pointed out. "What else?"

"His last condition was that I 'conduct myself properly'," she spat. "When he approached me, he all but called me whore and explained that no one wants to invest with someone who 'slags around'."

"What an arse," Scorpius muttered, ashamed of his own father.

Hermione nodded, "So, I agreed to his condition that I'd be more discreet, even though it's none of his damn business what I do."

"But all this was nearly a month ago," Scorpius pointed out.

"It was just something he said today," Hermione looked down at her fingers. "He was driving me insane, questioning everything I'd worked very hard to plan. Telling me we'd have to hold up construction..." she sighed. "Then, to throw me off, he told me how glad he was to see I could keep my legs shut, essentially, and that it was probably because wizarding men have finally realized a sense of taste."

It was embarrassing saying it aloud. It wasn't that what Draco said made her think she was ugly. He was Draco Malfoy. His entire goal in life was to make her feel like shit. She knew she was attractive. She knew she could get any number of men in a heartbeat. It was the anger, rage, and pent up issues she had both with him and everything else that just exploded.

"He's talking rubbish, you know?" Scorpius said, pulling her close. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Honestly. He knows it as well as I. It probably frustrates him that a Muggle-born is beautiful, smart, and more talented than he is." Hermione smiled at that. Scorpius certainly knew how to make her feel better.

"The crying you walked in on wasn't just about that," she said. "I know he's just being himself. I just started crying, about everything. You know, he used to make me feel so small in school. All the physical insecurities I had came from him, until Ron came along."

"I'm sorry he's that way," Scorpius said.

"Don't be," Hermione quickly admonished. "This is why I didn't want to talk about this with you. He's your father. You are required to love him and take his side. You shouldn't apologize for him. None of this has anything to do with you."

"I'd be sorry that anyone made you cry, Hermione," Scorpius said. "The fact that it's my father embarrasses me. I'm not like him and I never would be. I am on _your_ side. You just have to get used to that."

Hermione smiled again. "Thanks, Scorp," she said.

"Here," Scorpius said, getting off the bed and extending his hand to her, "let's have a nice hot bath and just stay in tonight. No sex required. Just you and me."

Hermione grinned up at him. It was exactly what she needed. "Thank you," she replied, kissing him on the cheek when he led her to the bathroom.

* * *

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she tried to stretch, noticing her body was weak and achy. The crying the night before had been rough on her body. She noticed Scorpius' arms wrap around her tighter and she smiled before she could help it.

He'd stayed the night and without sex at all. He'd been caring and gentle in the bath, washing her and calming her nerves, ignoring his erection as it bobbed in the water. When they settled down in front of the television with hot cocoa and leftover pizza, he held her close but didn't even attempt to take things sexual. When they went to bed, he simply wrapped her in his arms and they drifted off. It was significant, she knew.

They'd started this whole thing as a physical relationship, although, she had to admit things became more involved emotionally. They had so much in common, and he excited her in so many different ways, she couldn't really deny it. The thought was a bit frightening because his age, no matter what she told herself, was an issue for her.

After last night, she felt she could separate him from Draco completely, but he was still so young. He had so much life to live, and at the end of the day, so did Hermione. She'd started dating people to get experience and live life...now, she found herself getting closer and closer to that long-term, monogamous relationship that concerned her. Then again, the thought of sleeping with anyone else made her heart lurch in disgust.

She couldn't let go, but she didn't know what to do if things got any more serious. She'd just have to play it by ear.

"So early and your brain is already overheating," Scorpius mumbled against the skin of her shoulder.

She giggled. "Sorry."

"I think it's sexy," he said, kissing her neck. "Just as long as you aren't thinking about bolting from the room."

"Well, it is _my_ room," she said, turning in his arms to face him. "That would be rather silly."

"Since you are up and clearly in need of something to think about," he said, "I want to ask you something."

"Of course," Hermione said, wrapping both arms around his neck.

"I know you want to see my artwork," Scorpius started, his voice showing only a hint of nerves. Hermione just nodded in response, excitement beginning to bubble up inside her.

"I have an exhibit this weekend. I have six pieces I'm showing for my final grade, and I want you to come with me."

She looked at him stunned for a moment. "It's in a Muggle gallery and no one but Al even knows I'm showing. I've already asked him not to come. No one will know."

Hermione considered it for a moment. she felt it was an honor to be asked. It meant he trusted her completely. Her heart raced. "Yes, I'd love to go," she admitted pulling him in for a kiss. Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief and kissed her back.

* * *

That Friday when she met with Draco, she didn't let anything he said stick. He was obviously a bitter man, and she didn't need to waste her time with what he thought and why. He _did_ have some good ideas about the medical project, even if she loathed to admit it, and he lorded his superiority over her with every word out of his stupid mouth.

She left the meeting feeling lighter since he hadn't gotten a rise out of her and continued on to her daughter's flat. Rose wanted to host dinner with her, Ron, and Teddy and she didn't want to be late. She felt oddly excited about it. It was the first time that they would be a 'family' again, and while her relationship with Ron was awkward, she did long to reach a point with him where things were...easy. She just wished Hugo could be there. She was anxiously awaiting his return for the holidays from Hogwarts.

She smiled at Rose, glowing with joy, as she welcomed her into the flat. Her daughter had gone all out for the occasion and Hermione noticed Ron grilling Teddy in the living room. "Are you sure it's wise to leave them alone," she smirked at her daughter pointing to her poor boyfriend.

"Oh!" Rose cried, hurrying to save Teddy from whatever Ron was saying. She'd only told her father about dating Teddy the day prior when she invited him for dinner. She wanted to do an official dinner with all of them. Plus, she'd been cultivating her cooking skills. She felt like a real adult now that she was hosting a dinner party. She just hoped her parents weren't too uncomfortable. She was more worried about her father than anything.

"Dad, what you are and Teddy talking about?" she asked, sitting next to her boyfriend and taking his hand in hers.

Ron considered lying for a moment before admitting, "I was questioning his intentions."

"Dad!" Rose admonished. "Don't be mean."

"It's okay Rose," Teddy said.

"No, it's not!" Rose insisted. Hermione just watched with a smirk.

"Rosie, honey," Ron started, "it's my job to make sure he's good enough for you."

"But this is ridiculous!" Rose cried. "You've known Teddy longer than _I _have."

Hermione knew she'd better step in. Ron and Rose were both hot headed and stubborn. "Rose, I think your father just wants to make sure you are okay." She turned to Teddy and smiled. "You understand that, right Teddy?"

"Of course," Teddy said. It seemed he'd gained a bit more confidence since she'd questioned him about his intentions a few weeks prior. "Unc-Mr. Weasley, I really care about Rose, and my intentions are honorable."

Rose pouted but sighed and looked at her father for his response. "Good," Ron said. "If I find out differently, I'll make you wish you were never born."

Hermione rolled her eyes at her ex-husband's sledgehammer approach to the conversation, but she was happy he was such a good and loving father. Even if their marriage didn't work out, they had created two very wonderful children whom they both loved dearly.

"If you are done, shall we eat?" Rose asked. She was still pouting a little.

* * *

"Wonderful dinner, Rose," Hermione smiled at her daughter. She was so proud to see how grown up she was. It made her a little sad too. It was clear her daughter didn't need her anymore. At least not like she did just a few years ago, but she could see she'd done a great job raising her.

"I'll go out with you," Ron said, kissing his daughter on the cheek as they said their goodbyes. Hermione smiled and nodded.

"How is Lavender?" Hermione asked.

"Good," Ron said stiffly.

"I'm not upset, if you are worried about that," Hermione said.

"I know. Not like you'd have any right to be," Ron added snidely.

Hermione's eyes narrowed at him and she wondered where that had come from. They'd been very civil with on another since their first talk post-divorce.

"Sorry," he said, chastised by her look. "It's just..."

Hermione stayed silent and waited for him to continue as they walked down the street in the chilly air.

"I think everything is okay, and I know we were not right for each other, but when we are all together, it makes me miss it. What we had a long time ago, that is. I - are you sure there was no hope?" Ron said, stopping to look up at her.

"You know there wasn't," Hermione said. "You know I could never be like Lavender. It's not me. Maybe I was the biggest part of the problem. It doesn't change that we didn't work. It's okay to fail." She realized it had taken her a lifetime to understand that lesson. "You and I make great parents. We were good friends. Let's stick to that and forget what we were terrible at."

Ron nodded and smiled. "You're right. It still twists a knife in my gut every time I think about you with someone else," he said placing his hands on her shoulders.

Hermione didn't know what to say to that. He'd had her to himself for twenty years and he seemed unconcerned. Before she could say anything, she noticed a flash from a magical camera and saw a stout little man scurrying off. "Perfect," she sighed in frustration.

"Bloody hell, Lavender is going to flip," Ron groaned, moving back from Hermione as if he could undo the damage of the media catching them alone together on a dark street.

Hermione didn't know how Scorpius would react. They'd never been in a situation where jealousy could be an issue. She hoped he'd just accept it for what it was...paparazzi drivel.


	9. The Exhibit

**The Exhibit **

* * *

Hermione, for the fifth time that morning, wondered how _The Daily Prophet _turned a story around so quickly. She assumed that since 99% of it was complete rubbish, it made the writing a bit easier.

It wasn't so bad, she guessed. Sure, Lavender was going to flip because she'd always been a little insecure with Hermione. It was understandable. But really, the picture wasn't _that_ damning, and anyone who knew them would have to know that the article was all conjecture.

Her mind instantly went to Scorpius when she read it. What would he think? Would he understand? Would he care? She just didn't know him well enough, yet, to know how he'd react or what he'd think. She really wanted to talk to him before his exhibit tonight. She did not want anything to be awkward for him. It was a big night and she wanted him to enjoy it.

As three different owls dropped two bags of mail in front of her, she sighed. Well, _some_ people apparently believed the article.

* * *

Scorpius debated reading the article at all. He'd seen the picture of Hermione and her ex-husband huddled together in a dark alley, his arm around her, and the gnawing feeling of jealousy licked at his insides. The headline read, '_Golden Couple Back Together_'. He _did_ trust Hermione enough to know that couldn't be true, but still...

"Fuck it," he muttered to himself. His eyes scanned the article once before reading it fully.

_'Breaking: Last evening, investigative reporter Phineas Fingle discovered Britain's Golden Couple, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley wrapped in each other's arms and obviously oblivious to anyone or anything around. _

_They talked in hushed tones as they walked, hand-in-hand down a deserted street late last night. Hermione beamed at her companion as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear and Ronald looked back at her with deep affection. _

_You will remember that a few years ago their marriage inexplicably ended and was followed by a campaign of intense and reckless dating on the part of Ms. Granger. Perhaps she's gotten her wild oats under control and wishes to come home, finally. Mr. Weasley seems more than willing to overlook her indiscretions and take her back. _

_We at the _Prophet_ hope that these two work it out.'_

He knew that the Prophet printed far more lies than truth. The picture was what affected him the most. Hermione wouldn't lie, but what about that picture?

Was it his business anyway? Sure, they were exclusive, but he did not have a claim to her. If she chose to fix her marriage, he couldn't really stop her. He had nothing to offer her but himself and...the insecurity was sinking in and he hated it. He was not an insecure person. Hermione had changed so many things about him, he wondered how much of that was good, and how much was not.

He looked up at the clock. It was only noon, but he needed a drink.

* * *

Hermione had given up on the bag of mail five letters in. Most of it was The _Prophet's_ readers telling her that she was doing the right thing by going back to her husband like a good girl. Part of it was angry letters about leading men on. She'd never cease to be amazed by the sexism that existed all over the world and how willing most people were to show their unfavorable opinion of women.

She simply dug out the three letters from people she actually knew, and left the rest on her kitchen table. Ron wrote that Lavender was having kittens and asked if she could come over and explain what happened. Ginny offered her comfort, which made her smile because it was the friendliest thing she'd done since the break-up. Draco wrote to inform her that they'd need to discuss her public reconnection with her ex-husband tomorrow at lunch. She sighed in frustration.

She was just about to write a note to Scorpius when she heard the Floo activate. "Hermione?" she heard Scorpius' rich baritone and smiled to herself even though she didn't know what kind of mood she'd find him in. She loved seeing him.

"In here," she called from the stove.

He strode into her kitchen, fake confidence rolling off him in waves. "Hi," he said, awkwardly leaning against the doorframe. When she turned around to look at him, she felt her stomach muscles tighten. Even insecure, and she could tell he was, he was beautiful. His ripped jeans and leather jacket made him look a bit like the quintessential bad boy. While she'd never thought she'd find herself falling for that stereotype, she couldn't help herself. It almost made her forget that they had something to talk about. Something that Scorpius looked like he both wanted to ignore and jump right into at the same time.

"I take it you've seen the paper," she said, lamely, walking over to him as the kettle heated.

"Yes," Scorpius said.

"It was -"

"Look, you don't -"

They smiled at each other before Hermione said, "You go first."

Scorpius sighed and moved to sit at Hermione's table, eyeing the stack of mail for a moment before turning his attention to her as she sat across from him. "I trust you," he finally said. "When I first read it, I wondered. The picture was...alarming. But I trust you, and I know you wouldn't lie to me. If you want to get back together with your husband, you'd tell me, right?"

Hermione couldn't help it. She smiled so hard her face hurt. "Of course, I'd tell you. Scorpius, I'm not getting back together with Ron. Not ever." She couldn't believe how reasonable Scorpius was being. If Ron had been in a similar situation, things would have been thrown and they both would have ended up in angry tears.

Scorpius finally seemed to let out the breath he'd been holding since he got there. "I assumed as much. I just...seeing that picture, it made me realize, I have no claim to you."

Hermione frowned. "You are the only person I'm with. You are the only person I _want_ to be with right now." Scorpius nodded, trying to ignore the 'right now' she added to her statement.

"I know," he smiled. "I just know how you over think things and I didn't want you to worry that I'd taken things the wrong way. You don't owe me anything, but I know that you would have worried."

Hermione blushed. "I was just about to invite you over to talk about this," she admitted.

"See, I know you too well," Scorpius grinned. "Come here," he said, holding his arms out for her.

Hermione smiled and got out of her seat slowly approaching Scorpius. When he got her in arms reach, he pulled her down on his lap and kissed her. "You taste like firewhisky," she said, licking his lips.

"It took me one drink to figure out that I was an idiot for ever believing that stupid article," Scorpius admitted. Hermione smiled against his lips.

"Thank you, Scorp," she said warmly wrapping her arms around him and snuggling closer. "Thank you for trusting me."

"You haven't given me any reason not to," Scorpius pointed out with a kiss on her forehead.

Both just sat there in silence for the longest time, thinking. Scorpius felt so vulnerable to this woman and for the first time, he didn't care. At first, he'd just be struck by how beautiful she was. How great she was in bed. How nice she was to be around. But he felt himself getting closer and closer. Instead of being scared, he embraced it. He talked about taking risks all the time. If that didn't include his relationships, what was the point?

Hermione sat there considering how it had taken finding a man half her age to reach the level of maturity she'd longed for. He may have jumped to the wrong conclusion at first, but he took the time to think about it and trusted her in the end. Even Harry didn't seem to trust her half the time, though she'd proven herself to him for nearly thirty years. Scorpius got her. He fit her. Was that okay? What if it didn't work? Who was she kidding? It wouldn't work. One day she'd be fifty and he'd be ready for a woman his own age. The thought hurt her more than she cared to admit. She pushed it away. Not today. She wasn't going to think about that today.

* * *

Scorpius left not long after tea and Hermione decided to help Ron out by going to his flat to talk to Lavender. Screaming and tears eventually faded into conversation and Hermione was able to make her see that nothing was going on between her and Ron.

Hermione would have been annoyed, but she understood that Lavender was in an unfortunate situation. She was reactionary like Ron, and she wasn't so willing to think things through before jumping to conclusions. Hermione was patient with her, and the woman eventually saw reason.

By the time she returned home it was already time to get ready for Scorpius' showing. She felt giddy at the idea of seeing his work. She knew he was breaking Ministry rules, but she really didn't care. If he was careful and they never found out, what was the harm? He needed the catharsis that his work provided, and she never approved of arbitrary rules. If he was using magic in front of Muggles, that would be one thing. Paintings couldn't hurt anyone.

She slipped into a charcoal grey, casual wrap dress, wanting to be dressy but knowing that Scorpius would likely not be. She wanted to fit with him but also show respect for the event. She took time, carefully applying her makeup. She didn't know why she felt the need to take such great care with her appearance. It was a Muggle event. She wouldn't know anyone.

On the other hand, Scorpius' school friends would be there, and a part of her worried they might think her old and creepy. She pushed the silly thought aside and continued onto her hair. He wasn't even her boyfriend, really. It was stupid to worry about such things.

Scorpius was early when he Flooed into her apartment and she smiled at him in the mirror as he wandered into her bedroom and found her at her vanity. "You look beautiful," he said, as he so often did when he saw her for the first time.

Hermione took in his own appearance. His jeans didn't have holes in them, which was his way of 'dressing up'. She wondered if nineteen years under Malfoy's roof had made him resent the immaculate tailoring she'd always seen him in those years at King's Cross. He wore a black Pearl Jam tee shirt under a black sport coat that fitted him impeccably. She felt herself grow flushed as she looked at him.

His hair was tousled just so, and the eyebrow ring in his face just added to the whole image of 'sexy rocker artist' that he'd seemed to work hard to cultivate. He was delectable. "You don't look so bad yourself, sir." Hermione said with a smirk, reaching down to slip on her peep-toe pumps.

"Let's get a drink first," Scorpius said, extending his arm for her to take.

"Nervous?" she asked with a smile, following him to her living room.

"What do you think?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"It will be fine," she promised. "I'm Hermione Granger. I cannot lie."

He just rolled his eyes at her before closing them and Apparating them directly to the edge of Wizarding London. They were in the Muggle world in seconds. Hermione always breathed a little sigh of relief when they crossed over. The fear of being discovered made her stomach twist in knots.

"Your pub?" she asked.

"Oh no," Scorpius said. "Albus goes there all the time. Besides, I think tonight is the occasion for something a little fancier." He grinned at her and she blushed under his gaze. He reached down and took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together and leading her down the crowded street. She just kept smiling like a giddy schoolgirl.

* * *

Hermione was feeling warm and cozy after the two drinks she had. Just enough to relax but not too much to make her head feel fuzzy. Scorpius seemed to be in the same position, although he'd had three drinks. "It's going to be great," Hermione said, squeezing his hand one last time before they made their way into the gallery.

"You haven't even seen them," he pointed out.

"I believe in you," Hermione said. He smiled warmly at her and kissed her forehead before sighing heavily as if he was headed off to his execution. She shook her head at him and let him lead her inside.

"Scorp!" A young man called out, a big smile pasted to his face. He was dressed like he was trying too hard to be cool, and Hermione was sure that his plastic rimmed glasses were more for show than function, but he seemed to be one of Scorpius' friends so she smiled at him.

"Miles," Scorpius responded warmly, dropping Hermione's hand long enough to greet his friend.

"This is my girlfriend, Hermione. Hermione, this is my classmate, Miles," he introduced without missing a beat. Hermione blushed as he called her his girlfriend, feeling incredibly silly about it. What else was he going to say? 'This is my Cougar fuck buddy'? Still, it felt nice to know he didn't need to him-haw over the correct title for her.

"It's very nice to meet you," she smiled brightly at the young man.

"You've got to see it," Miles nearly gushed. "Dr. Lynch has displayed your work beautifully." Scorpius took Hermione's hand again and she squeezed it as they followed Miles through the lobby and into the exhibit.

Hermione was shocked to see at least one-hundred of people there. Scorpius made it seem as if this function would be small, and mostly for schoolmates. There were definitely members of the public present. "Dr. Lynch must have made a few calls," he sighed to her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"He must be very proud of you, then," Hermione said, looking up at Scorpius with pride in her own eyes. "Would you like me to leave you alone to mingle?"

Scorpius held her hand tighter and looked at her like a deer caught in headlights. "You better not!" he cried. "I do this for the art. I have no idea how to talk to these people about my work."

Hermione smiled up at him. "Okay, I'm here. Why don't you show _me_ your work?"

He took a shaky breath and nodded, pulling her by the hand toward the first piece of work. "This is called, 'Lost Children'," he said quietly, letting her take in the first picture he'd ever painted for art school. He was nervous, but he knew of everyone present, Hermione would understand his work. She lived it, fought it, and she knew him better than anyone at the moment.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she saw how stunningly beautiful and incredibly heartbreaking the piece was. Scorpius had taken great care to keep the painting abstract. A Ministry Official would have to look hard to find the clues as to what the painting was about. For her, it was obvious. The ragged Dark Mark hung in the sky above a field of wandering children with haunting expressions on their faces.

"It's powerful," she breathed.

"Art is meant to be beautiful," Scorpius pointed out.

"Its power is beautiful," Hermione said, looking up at him, her eyes boring into his soul. "Scorpius, it's amazing."

He seemed to let out quite a bit of tension in his shoulders when she gave her approval and he moved her onto the second piece. "Son's Struggle," Scorpius said, simply clearing his throat nervously.

Hermione could understand why he was nervous. These paintings were laying his soul bare before everyone in attendance. Most would comment about brush strokes and 'accessibility' but she couldn't help but feel her heart torn into pieces at the thought of the young man next to her needing this to get his emotions out there. She'd never been one to have trouble tapping into how he felt and expressing it. Scorpius had been very open with her, but she realized the layers in this man were deep and she'd only skimmed the surface.

He took her through the collection, painting by painting, and she felt like a layer was revealed with each one. He was a talented artist, in the technical sense, but more than that, he evoked emotions in her that she hadn't felt since her days fighting the war. His paintings should be held in high esteem in their world. Unfortunately, she knew he'd never feel safe enough revealing them, and too many people in Wizarding Britain wished to keep the past in the past.

She saw a crowd gathered around the final painting and looked up at Scorpius with a smile. "It seems this one is a hit," she commented, unable to see it from her place behind the crowd.

Scorpius looked very nervous again. She couldn't understand why and wondered if he had difficulty with praise. There was no telling what kind of parenting he had growing up. Draco and Lucius used to strut around like a peacock, and it was hard to imagine a Malfoy that wouldn't. . "It's called, 'Her'," he said.

He was most terrified of her seeing this painting, he'd admit to himself. He didn't know how she'd take it or whether she'd feel violated. He'd considered pulling it from the exhibit, but his professor, Dr. Lynch, insisted it was the best piece and to hide it would be disrespectful to his talent. In the end, he kept it, knowing that only he and Hermione would know who the subject really was.

He pushed through the crowd to get them both to the front. He watched her face the entire time, wanting to know her first reaction. Her smile turned slack and her eyebrows furrowed as she contemplated in the painting. Scorpius created this image of her naked and coming undone for the first time. Abstract as it was, she'd know that she was the subject even if no one else did.

At first, the beauty of the painting took Hermione. The colors were brilliant and well executed. The shape of the woman was erotic without being pornographic. Her ecstasy was real and powerful. It was a stunning painting, so different from the rest in their darkness. This was light, hopeful, and exciting.

She knew instantly that this painting was of her. She was overwhelmed with so many emotions. Did he really think she was that beautiful? Was she really so important to him that she affected his art?

She knew he was worrying himself into an early grave next to her, but she wasn't exactly sure what to say about being the subject of such a painting. "It's so beautiful," she said, smiling up at him, her tears coating her eyes as she felt one hundred emotions all at once. This man was so much more than she'd ever given him credit for being.

He smiled back, a real smile, for the first time that evening, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he lead her from the paintings and toward his professor.

"Brilliant work, Scorpius," his professor beamed, obviously proud of his pupil. "I'll have you know that every painting here has sold, with the exception of the last. There's quite a bidding war on that one."

"It's not for sale," Scorpius said. "They rest can be sold, but the last piece is personal."

Hermione knew he could make quite a bit of money from the painting of her, but she was glad he wasn't willing to sell. She felt a powerful possessiveness over that painting and wanted him to keep it. "I shall inform the bidders, but they will be very disappointed," the professor stated.

"I'm sorry," Scorpius said. "It's just...personal." Dr. Lynch shook his head and smiled, his eyes lingering on Hermione for a moment.

"I understand," he said. "You've done quite well here tonight, regardless. You'll be a working artist by the time you finished the program, of that I'm sure. The four buyers are already anticipating your newest work." Hermione beamed proudly at Scorpius as he led her to meet with some of the patrons of the exhibit. She was so proud she could just burst. In addition, with each word of praise, Scorpius relaxed enough to be as charming as she knew he could be.

* * *

"The paintings," Hermione started, as she kicked her shoes off and sat on her bed, beckoning Scorpius to join her, "they're so powerful."

"You said that," he smirked.

"And you are so talented," she said, ignoring him. "I didn't think I'd be so moved."

Scorpius just shrugged, unsure of what to say.

"Have you thought of showing them to your family?" Hermione asked.

Scorpius snorted at that. "Yes, I'll do that. And Dear Old Dad will drop dead of a heart attack when he sees me airing my family's dirty laundry."

Hermione frowned at that. "Oh," she said. "I just mean, it seems like there are a lot of unresolved issues there. You want to get to the point where you can speak to each other again, right?"

"It's not like your family, Hermione. We don't fight, scream and yell, then make up. We don't discuss. Everything just keeps building up." Scorpius explained.

"I know," Hermione said. "I just wish it were different. I don't want you to be upset."

Scorpius smiled and pulled her close to him. "I'm not, really. I'm used to it. My paintings are far more dramatic than the reality." Hermione just chuckled. "You liked the last piece though, right?" He said, looking her in the eyes.

"Is that how you really see me?" Hermione asked.

"At little more literally than that, but yes," Scorpius said. "You make me feel things I never thought I'd feel."

"You too," Hermione admitted, knowing they were headed down a dangerous path. She was so close to falling in love with this man, and she knew that could end in disaster.

"Come here," he said, softly pulling her to him, both hands wrapping around her back. "Hermione, this isn't a fling any more, and you know it."

"Scorpius, neither of us is ready for..." Hermione began but he cut her off.

"How do you know what I'm ready for? I'm not a child," he countered harshly, wrapping his hands around her arms tightly. "If you don't stop thinking about me like I'm one of your children, we can't even see where this could go."

"I'm not!" Hermione cried in return. "But you are so young. And I...I have a family. I have responsibilities. You aren't ready for that."

"You don't know what I'm ready for, Hermione," he countered, pulling her closer to him, almost desperately.

"Scorpius, what do you think will happen? We will fall in love and get married and then you become stepfather to Rose and Hugo? Don't you see that a future is not possible for us? Can't you just accept what we have?" Hermione said, her own emotions taking over as she began to cry.

"No, I can't accept it, Hermione," Scorpius said, holding her close and rocking her to his chest. "I accept that the future might not happen. But I don't accept that it can't."

"It hurts too much," Hermione said softly. "It hurts to feel this way and know it will have to end."

"It doesn't have to," Scorpius pointed out.

"The fact that you think that just proves to me you are too young to understand," Hermione countered weakly.

"Will you just let me decide what I'm ready for or not?" Scorpius sighed in frustration. "I want you. I want only you and you want only me. I'm not saying we go public. I'm not saying anything other than that I don't want to hold back anymore."

"Even if it's doomed?" Hermione asked, looking up at him.

"I don't believe it is, so I don't care," Scorpius responded. Hermione just sighed in frustration and pulled him in for a hug.

"I should just end this now, before my heart is broken into a million pieces, but I'm too selfish to quit," she admitted.

"Good," Scorpius smirked as he reached down to untie Hermione's dress, pulling it open to gaze down at her matching emerald green lace knickers and bra. "Well maybe you have some Slytherin in you already," he said admiring her choice of colors.

Hermione laughed and said, "I think I will in a few moments." Then she quickly pushed off his sport coat and pulled his shirt over his head. His warm smooth skin on her fingers made her shiver with lust and she sighed against his mouth. He pulled her up the bed, throwing her dress on the floor and running his warm fingers up and down her sides.

"Scorpius," she sighed against him as his fingers pushed the cups of her bra down her chest, exposing her breasts to the cool air of the room.

"I want you," he groaned, urgently, kissing a path down her neck. She was too overcome by the intensity to notice as he removed the rest of his clothes, but she felt his smooth, hard cock against her stomach and moaned in response.

"Want you too," she gasped, moving her hand around his shaft and pumping as his fingers deftly slipped into her knickers. His mouth feasted on her chest as her hands moved to wrap around his back and run her nails over the sensitive skin, just as she knew he liked.

She knew all the things that could make him moan, groan, buck, and cry out her name and she loved it. She could play him like an instrument as he could with her. Sex had never been so passionate and intense as it was with him every time. "Make love to me," she breathed into the shell of his ear as he held her tightly in his arms, their naked bodies entwined, just feeling each other.

His hand moved down her torso to her dripping pussy and he felt how wet she was, groaning against her neck. Taking his cock in hand, he lined it up and slipped inside her. "Fuck," he sighed, his eyes screwed shut as he savored every inch sliding against her hot, wet walls.

"Yesss," she hissed holding on tight as he moved slowly in and out of her. It was a slow burn building inside her and she locked eyes with him as he shifted, hitting her g-spot hard with the head of his cock.

"Don't leave me," he begged, looking down at her.

"I-I won't," she said, knowing she'd already sealed her fate when she asked him to make love to her rather than fuck her. This was not just for fun anymore. After a month with Scorpius Malfoy, she'd gotten herself in much deeper than she planned and she couldn't get out. At least not of her own free will.

Her answer seemed to please him because he threw his head back and began to thrust more forcefully in and out of her, taking her hips in both hands and guiding her thrusts against him until they had worked out a perfect rhythm.

"Ohh, right there," Hermione cried out, feeling her body working up to orgasm. She knew she was going to come any minute but she wanted them to come together. She tightened her pussy muscles around him and heard his strangled cry.

"Close," he growled. "Come with me."

Hermione nodded in response, her own hips bucking faster against his as the sound of their hips slapping against each other intensified. "Oh yes!" she groaned, digging her fingernails into his back as she began to come.

"Yeah, that's it, come for me," Scorpius demanded, his thrusts becoming ragged as his balls contracted.

"SCORPIUS!" Hermione cried out, coming hard and fast around him, her cunt pulsing before she clamped around him.

"HERMIONE!" He cried in return as the feeling of her tight pussy contracting pushed him over the edge. He held her close, even as they both work through the shockwaves of their orgasms. He rolled them both on their sides facing each other as his cock softened inside her.

"So good," she mumbled against him.

"Always so eloquent after I fuck your brains to mush," he smirked.

"Always such a smart ass," Hermione chuckled.

"Sleep," Scorpius instructed, but Hermione was already passed out against him. He sighed with relief, knowing that his instincts had been right. They made a big leap together and he knew it started with showing her his art. He fell asleep holding Hermione close and feeling very content.


	10. Christmas

**A/N: Thank you all for your patience. I know it's taken me too long to update, but to make it up to you...a LONG CHAPTER! YAY! Please enjoy. And another special thanks to the best beta in the world: Rusty Weasley. **

**Christmas**

* * *

_December 2020_

"Draco," Astoria gently began, looking anxiously at her husband. He seemed more tense than usual. Working with that Mudblood had set his mood on edge lately.

"Yes," he replied, not looking up from his dinner plate.

"I miss Scorpius," she said. It had been six months since her son had been home. It was too much. He was her only child and she loved him dearly. She missed him. She knew men could be stubborn, her husband and son were among the worst offenders, but with Christmas coming, she wanted her family back together.

Draco pursed his lips and looked at his wife. He missed Scorpius too, of course. But the boy had to learn that he had responsibilities. Until he wanted to own up to them, there was nothing Draco could do but wait.

"He will come home, eventually," Draco assured.

"But it's Christmas," Astoria complained. "Can't he come, just for Christmas?"

Draco did not want to give in at all, but he missed his son as well, and he was unable to say 'no' to his wife when she was this distraught. He knew Astoria was heartbroken, and he felt himself giving in.

"I'll send him an owl. Only for Christmas," he warned, seeing his wife's excitement.

"Thank you, Draco," she said rising and kissing him on the cheek. He smiled despite himself. Now, if only Hermione Granger were as easy to deal with as his wife.

* * *

"MUM!" Hugo cried, as he stepped through the Floo. His father had picked him up at King's Cross this time, and Hermione was anxiously awaiting his arrival with Rose.

"My little boy!" Hermione cried in return, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"Little boy, my arse," Rose said with a smirk behind her brother. "He's over six feet now!"

"Got that height from your father," Hermione laughed, kissing Hugo's cheek before letting him go.

Hugo just rolled his eyes. "So, what's new?" he said, moving into the living room with his sister as they both sat on the couch.

"Not a thing," Hermione lied. "I've just been anxiously counting down the days until you got home!"

"You old people don't get out much, do you?" Hugo quipped causing both his mother and sister to laugh.

"Yes," Hermione said. "I am afraid, I just sit here, staring and my Floo, waiting months and months for you to get home."

"Well, I am really the only interesting thing happening around here," Hugo said, puffing out his chest. Hermione just giggled. She couldn't believe how much he'd grown in such a short amount of time. He looked like he was beginning to become a man. It made her feel old, but proud.

"Oh, yes. How could we forget?" Rose said with a dramatic sigh. "So, why don't you tell mom about how Dad and I caught you making out with a sixth year Hufflepuff as the train rolled in."

Hugo turned bright red and Hermione giggled at her kids antics.

* * *

"Before you say 'no', realize you have absolutely no choice whatsoever," Al started, hands on his hips as he looked down at Scorpius who was flipping channels on the couch.

"Okay mother," he replied sarcastically. "What is it I have no choice about?"

"My grandmother insists you come over for Christmas Dinner," Al said. "And before you come up with some sort of excuse, I want you to know that when you make her mad, I have to bear the brunt of her disapproval."

"Always so dramatic," Scorpius said with a smirk. "I'll show," he said with a shrug. He was positive Hermione would be there, and while he couldn't touch her, he liked being as close as possible.

Albus let out a sigh, "Good. I was worried you had something going with your family and you have no idea how my Grandmother can be when we have to tell her no."

"Uh, actually I do. Remember when I informed her that I do not eat fish?" Scorpius pointed out.

Albus chuckled, "Oh yeah. I think she's planning on sneaking it into all her dishes without telling you."

"Good to know," Scorpius smiled.

"So, you've been absent these last few months," Albus said, plopping on the couch next to his roommate. "Been with your girlfriend?"

"Al, I'm not telling you who she is, so get over it," Scorpius sighed.

"Why not?" Albus pouted. "Is she ugly?" Scorpius hit him with a pillow and glared in response. "Well, then I don't get it. You aren't ashamed to date Muggles. You've always been open about who you've been screwing. You clearly like this girl. Why can't you tell me?"

Scorpius knew he was reaching the breaking point with Al on this issue. It _didn't_ add up that he wouldn't tell his best friend who he was dating. At the same time, Al was too involved in Hermione's life to know the secret.

"Al, please just drop it," Scorpius said looking at his friend seriously.

"I don't get it!" Albus cried. "Something's wrong with this girl if you can't even talk to me about her."

Scorpius sighed again. "There is nothing wrong with her. I _can't_ tell you who she is. Please, for me, just let it go."

"Do I know her or something?" Albus said, starting to grow concerned. Scorpius was acting weird.

Scorpius just scowled and got up from the couch. His silence was all the answer Albus really needed.

* * *

Rose rested her head against Teddy's chest as they lounged on the couch of her flat. Her roommate had gone back to the States for Christmas, and she had the whole place to herself for two whole weeks.

"So, Victoire is going to be at Christmas dinner, you know," he said, running his fingers up and down the gap of skin exposed between her shirt and pajama pants.

"And?" Rose said, keeping her voice as aloof as possible. They'd managed pretty well so far, but that had been in the absence of the girl Teddy had called his girlfriend for nearly 5 years.

"I just want you to know you don't have to worry, Rose," Teddy clarified.

She turned to look at him, her eyes staring back into his. "I'll always worry," she admitted.

"I love you, Rose," Teddy choked out. "I've loved you for a while. I just thought...I thought I was supposed to be with her. I thought...Well, it was just expected, and I..."

Rose smiled up at him, "I love you too, Teddy. I understand why you were with her. I just...she's so beautiful and exotic, and I'm just…me. The little girl with skinned knees that you used to tease. I've had a crush on you since I was eleven. I never really believed we'd be together."

He pulled her tight and kissed her cheek. "So, this Christmas we'll just stick together and hope we make it out unscathed."

"You make her sound evil, Teddy. Don't forget, I grew up with Victoire too. It's not like I don't know how she can be. But she's probably just hurt right now," Rose reasoned. Teddy just smiled down at her. He was glad he finally had someone who was free, relaxed, and uncomplicated.

* * *

Hermione arched her back while gripping the bars of her headboard as Scorpius thrust the full length of his shaft in and out of her hard and fast. "That's it baby," he grunted, gripping her hips and tilting them back so he could attack her g-spot with the head of his cock.

"Oh yes, fuck me, Scorp," she moaned, her eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head as her body began to shake.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. _

"Ignore it," Scorpius growled, increasing his pace as some bloody bird attacked Hermione's bedroom window.

Hermione was too far gone to care. She felt herself coming undone and she moved her hands to Scorpius' ass to pull him more tightly against her. "Yes!" she cried out, tightening her legs around him as he continued to fuck her.

"So close," he growled out, his large hands digging into her sensitive skin. "FUCK!" he cried out before pushing balls-deep and pumping his load inside her pulsing pussy.

"So good," she moaned, wrapping her arms and legs around him as he collapsed on her. She held him close so that there was no way he could remove himself from her.

"Mmmhmmm," was all he could manage.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. _

"Ugh!" Hermione groaned.

"I'll get it," Scorpius said with a frustrated sigh. Whoever needed to contact Hermione right at that moment would be on the receiving end of a painful hex if he could find them.

Extracting himself from Hermione's smooth warmth, he went to the window and quirked an eyebrow at the eagle owl with Malfoy stationary in his mouth. "You expecting something from my father?" he asked.

"No," Hermione said, sitting up and eyeing Scorpius in confusion. "He and I have put off further planning until after the New Year. Why?"

Draco took the letter from Aquarius' beak and patted him on the head before sending him on his way. Flipping the envelope over, he saw his own name written in a distinctive handwriting.

"It's for me," Scorpius said, stumbling back to bed with the envelope.

Hermione looked at him seriously. She knew very well that Draco was not speaking to his son. It was his version of 'tough love' although Hermione found it wholly moronic. Was it better to have no son at all than one that didn't follow your every whim?

"Well, it's not going to open itself," she said, pulling the blankets over both of them and smiling up at him with what she hoped was encouragement.

Scorpius sighed heavily. What was the worst it could say? Opening it, he pulled the single sheet of paper out and read it aloud.

_'Scorpius,_

_Your father and I invite you to a private family dinner at six o'clock, Christmas Eve Evening. Please let me know if you'll be able to attend. _

_Mother.' _

"Rather formal, isn't she?" Hermione said, unsure of what kind of mood such a letter would send her lover into. She didn't pretend to understand the Malfoy family dynamics. She just knew if she received a letter that cold from her own mother she'd go into a fit of tears.

"Actually, the invitation is more than I expected," Scorpius admitted. "She's always like this."

"Oh," Hermione said, imagining how cold his childhood must have been.

"I can't believe they even bothered," he said, and Hermione just silently watched him process the invitation.

"Are you going to go?" Hermione finally asked when he went silent.

"Yeah," Scorpius said. "Yeah, I am. Look, if they are extending the olive branch, who am I to reject it? I'll never get them to understand my lifestyle if I expect too much of them too fast."

"That sounds wise," Hermione agreed.

"And while we are on the topic of Christmas plans," Scorpius segued, "I'm going to the Burrow for dinner. The eldest Mrs. Weasley demanded my presence under pain of death to Albus."

Hermione chuckled. "Okay, it looks like we'll be spending Christmas together after all. But you better keep your hands to yourself," she said with an evil glare.

"But the temptation is too much. How can I promise such a thing," Scorpius said sticking his tongue out at her. She giggled, and pulled him back down to her, pressing her open mouth to his.

* * *

Scorpius shifted uncomfortably in his dress robes as he reminded himself for the hundredth time why he preferred living outside of Malfoy Manor. He hated Wizarding clothes. They were binding, heavy, and traditionally lacked proper undergarments. He, however, was not giving up the boxer briefs. What his parents didn't know wouldn't kill them.

He wasn't sure if he should directly Floo in or Apparate outside the wards and knock on the door. He shook his head. He was being stupid. If he were not allowed to Floo into his childhood home, he was sure his mother would have informed him.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the Floo powder from the mantel and entered, "Malfoy Manor," he cried, letting the magic of the Floo sweep him into the house he'd called home for almost 20 years.

A house-elf greeted him instantly. "This way, Master," the small creature said, quickly turning and leading him to the grand dining room. As he followed, he thought how strange it felt being around a house-elf, even though he had grown up around dozens of them. Immersing himself in the Muggle world, and being with Hermione had certainly changed his views on having these beings as servants.

His mother had her arms around him before he could even cross the threshold. It was a warmer reception than he'd ever remember receiving. "Mother," he said, hugging her back awkwardly.

"Come sit down," she said, smiling brightly at him and indicating the chair to his father's right just as he had used his entire life. He smiled awkwardly at the man, who looked as if he was working hard not to scowl - probably at the request of his wife.

"Father," Scorpius said.

"Son," Draco replied.

_Oh yes, good times will be had tonight,_ Scorpius thought as he unfolded his napkin.

* * *

"Open! Open!" Hugo urged, still feeling like a child this time of year. Hermione loved how he reverted. It made her remember all the happy Christmases when he was a child.

"Okay! Okay!" she laughed, pulling open the wrapping paper. Inside was a box. She opened the lid and laughed out loud when she saw four handcrafted, albeit sad looking, mugs.

"I made them in Muggle Studies," Hugo said proudly. It was his one 'blow off class' of his last semester. Growing up with Hermione Granger, he could pass the class half-asleep.

"They are wonderful, honey," Hermione said honestly. They were misshapen and probably not even safe to drink from, but she thought they were absolutely adorable.

"Great work, Hugo," Rose said, rolling her eyes. She'd already given her mother her gift. A scrapbook she'd made of all the pictures she'd collected over the years of the family. Hermione loved it. "They look completely toxic, and I bet they leak."

Hugo just grinned and stuck his tongue out at his sister. "Be nice," Hermione chastised, placing the mugs back in the box carefully. She and the kids decided to do Christmas together on Christmas Eve since they'd be staying Christmas night at the Burrow with all the other kids and Ron.

"How about some hot chocolate and _It's a Wonderful Life_?" Hermione asked excitedly as she tucked her gifts away.

"Mum, we aren't twelve," Rose rolled her eyes.

"You can't lie to me, little girl," Hermione said. "I know you have been waiting for Jimmy Stewart for weeks!"

"I know I have," Hugo said sarcastically.

"Come help me with the snacks, or I'll kick your arses to the curb," Hermione chuckled. Rose and Hugo both got up excitedly and followed her into the kitchen. They liked to give her a hard time, but they loved her traditions as much as she did.

* * *

Dinner was filled with his mother's chatter and his father's silence. Astoria had tried to get him interested in at least ten different daughters of family friends, which he politely declined. He just wanted to get through the meal alive.

"And what is it you've been doing all this time?" Draco finally asked, cutting across Astoria mid-sentence.

"Well," Scorpius said, steeling himself for battle, "I've been attending Muggle University in London," he said, watching with amusement as his father's jaw tightened.

"Studying what?" he bit out.

Scorpius couldn't help the smirk that crossed his lips when he said, "Art."

"Art?" Draco scoffed. "You are studying art at a Muggle school?"

"Yes," Scorpius said, with some level of satisfaction. He knew it was childish, but it was sort of empowering to sit at his father's dinner table and be able to tell him what he was doing and what he really thought. What was the worst he could do? Scorpius wasn't under his roof anymore.

"In fact, I recently had a very successful gallery exhibit. Made nearly ten thousand pounds," he said, somewhat smug. Usually he was very modest about his accomplishments, as few as they had been in his short life, but he really wanted his father to understand that he had a life outside of this house.

Draco looked at him seriously. "Enough, Scorpius. You've had your fun. It's time to come back to Malfoy Manor and be serious. Do you really think you can live off whatever people throw at your feet for painting pictures?"

"Yes, I do," Scorpius said, looking to his mother who was starting to look nervous. "I've paid my way through University on my own. I created my own artwork. I never asked for help from you or anyone else. I like my life. I like what I do."

"Honey, I think your father is just trying to explain..." Astoria started, but Draco interrupted her again.

"So you just want to live in the Muggle world and abandon your entire heritage and family?" Draco asked, laying the guilt trip on thick.

"Don't put that on me," Scorpius said, his tone irritated. "It's not my job to fulfill some family destiny or any of that archaic rot. I'm an individual. I love you both very much, but you have to stop trying to make me into something I don't want to be."

"Not everything is about you," Draco said, his voice nearly a growl.

"And what does my living my own life do to affect _you_?" Scorpius countered. "I'm not business minded. I'm not going to offer anything to your company that you couldn't find in any other person you pick up off the street. I'm not interested in being a pureblood husband. I'm not even thinking about having children in the near future. Why do you think that I would want to do any of this?"

"It's tradition, Scorpius," Astoria cut in.

"Yes," Scorpius replied. "And it was that tradition that allowed a mass murderer to come to power. It was that stupid ideology that destroyed the Malfoy name twenty years ago. I'm not going to fix it just by joining your company and marrying a Pureblood wife. The war is over. It's done. Everyone but you and a handful of your friends sees it." Scorpius found himself ranting by the end, but he felt so relieved at finally saying what he'd wanted to say for years.

"You ungrateful brat," Draco shouted, jumping up from his seat. "You know nothing of the war. You can't sit there and tell me about the Dark Lord and prejudice like you ever experienced it. Get out," Draco hissed as he pointed towards the doorway.

"Draco," Astoria pleaded as she stood next to him.

"No. I'll not be talked to like this in my own house. If he thinks he knows everything, then he knows where the Floo is."

Scorpius shook his head in disappointment. He knew his father wouldn't have been this way if not for years upon years of brainwashing by his grandfather. However, it was sad to know that he couldn't make the older man see reason.

He got up and walked over to his mother, kissing her on the cheek. "I'm always available to talk," he told her.

"Father, I hope one day you can understand my choices. My door is always open." Draco ignored him as he walked out of the dining room and back to the Floo. He was just grateful Albus had offered to meet him for a drink afterwards. His best friend knew he'd probably need it.

* * *

Hermione arrived early to the Burrow dinner, but she wasn't the only one. Ron and Lavender were already there. "Hi," she said, greeting them both. Lavender smiled awkwardly and Ron returned her greeting. She wondered if Lavender would be comfortable enough around her to put away the petty 'ex-wife' treatment.

"Mum is glad you came," Ron said.

"Thanks," Hermione said, just happy that she was invited. "Are Harry and..." she couldn't even finish her sentence before Harry and Ginny walked in the door with Lily hot on their heels.

"Hermione!" Harry cried, smiling brightly at her. She smiled in return, hoping that the awkwardness would fall away at some point in the evening.

"Hi, Ginny. Hello, Lily," she said as she examined Lily Potter. She couldn't believe how much Lily had grown. Little Lily Potter was already sixteen!

"All of you, come in the house!" Molly called from the kitchen. "Settle in!"

Hermione let Harry lead her into the living room where they all settled in and discussed the only thing they ever really discussed together these days - the kids.

* * *

"You are going to become Grandma Weasley's favorite, and you aren't even related to us," Al chuckled when he saw that Scorpius had spiffed up for the Christmas party. "Although, she does always ask me why you have metal sticking to your face."

Scorpius chuckled at that. He'd removed the piercing for his dinner with his parents, knowing the shock of them would likely send his parents into early graves. If the thought of studying art horrified them, the thought that he'd rammed metal into his eyebrow would certainly make headlines with them.

But with the Weasleys and Potters, they just rolled their eyes and grinned at him, making him feel comfortable with being himself. The irony of the people his father hated most acting more like family was not lost on him. "I like to impress my many fans," he said smirking at his best friend.

"Or perhaps, Rose Weasley?" Albus ventured. Scorpius nearly choked at the implication.

"What?" He asked, looking at his friend like he had 10 heads.

"Oh, I've figured it out. You and Rose," Albus answered confidently.

"Nice try, Al, but you could not be more off track if you tried. Isn't she with Teddy Lupin?" Scorpius chuckled. _No, I have no feelings for Rose, but I've been fucking her mother in every position invented by the great people of India. _

Albus looked disappointed. "She is. That's why I thought it was her. I thought you two might be having a torrid love affair."

"Al, you watch too much television," Scorpius said. "Now, let's go. You don't want to be late...again."

* * *

"So, how is the new ward coming?" James asked in his fourth attempt to make conversation with Hermione. She knew the poor boy had a crush on her and it used to be adorable. It was strange now. He was a grown adult - older than her current lover - and that changed things.

"Oh, well...it's coming," Hermione said with an awkward chuckle. "I'm working with Mr. Malfoy on the details, and he's dragging it out, but once we are done, it's going to be brilliant. Construction will start in March, fingers crossed."

"That's really great," James beamed at her. He was seated next to her, closer than necessary, and she felt like she needed some air.

"Excuse me, James," she said with a smile and he just nodded and let her get up. She headed out toward the back patio and took a deep breath of cold air instantly. She didn't mind the cold. The Burrow was always blazing hot when it was packed to the gills like tonight.

She'd seen Scorpius when he entered with Al, and realized it was going to be harder not to be affected by him than she thought. He looked amazing and as she hugged him 'hello', she noticed he smelled tantalizing. Victoire was already using him as an excuse to make Teddy jealous, and she felt silly that she was actually forty years old and in competition with a near child for her boyfriend's affections.

"Should I be jealous?" the warm baritone of her lover asked from behind her and she couldn't help but smile.

"Of?" she asked, not even looking back at him. She felt him move closer though, the heat of his body radiating off of him without even touching her.

"James Potter wants into Aunt Hermione's knickers. What a little deviant." There was humor in his voice and she chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know. I like them young," she replied flippantly. "Should I be jealous?"

"Oh yes. I'm just dying to run off with the world's most vapid Weasley," Scorpius said, and she could almost hear his eyes rolling.

"She's just trying to make Teddy jealous," Hermione explained.

"Yes, I know. I've never been more flattered," Scorpius said.

Hermione chuckled, "Luckily for Rose, I don't think it's working."

"Al asked me if my secret girlfriend was Rose, by the way," Scorpius said.

"Ugh. Too weird. Please don't tell me things like that," Hermione said, grimacing.

"Yeah," was all he replied. They stood there in silence for several moments before Hermione finally turned around to face him. "What are you doing out here?" he finally asked.

"Crowded," she said with a shrug. "I never really got used to the Weasley family gatherings. With all the kids and grandkids...it's a bit much."

"Yeah," Scorpius agreed. "Nothing like Malfoy gatherings."

Hermione laughed at the face he pulled. "I'll bet. We better get inside before people wonder where we've gone," she said.

"I'll be in soon," Scorpius said, letting his fingers ghost against hers as she passed him to go back inside.

* * *

"She's doing it again," Rose pointed out.

"I'm telling you, I don't care," Teddy said with a smile. "She can flirt with Scorpius Malfoy all night. It doesn't bother me."

"Good," Rose smiled.

"What did you two talk about?" she asked.

"I just told her that she needed to be nice to you," Teddy explained.

"Well, other than the death glares, she's been totally ignoring me, so I guess that's a plus," Rose laughed.

"Don't worry about her, babe. She'll come around. We are all family and she will eventually get over this. For now, just pretend she's not here," Teddy said.

"Good idea," Rose said. "I just worry that you'll think this is a mistake."

"Never," Teddy said. "You are the person I connect with mind, body, and spirit. I never had that with her. Just take a deep breath and smile." Rose did as she was told, feeling instantly better.

* * *

After being stuffed with Molly's amazing cooking, and promising to spend more time at the Potters, Hermione was tired. However, going home was not an option. If she were the first to leave, she'd never hear the end of it. Instead, she made her way up the stairs to the room she used to call her own when she stayed at the Burrow.

She smiled as she saw Ginny's old trunk and bedspread still there as if she'd never left. The Burrow still looked as it always had, even if only Molly and Arthur lived there full time. There was something calming and stable about that fact. She loved that her children always had the option of coming to the Burrow, just as she had.

She heard him enter from behind her. "Following me?"

"I can only take so much Weasley family bonding time," Scorpius said, sitting next to her on the bed.

"You shouldn't be up here," Hermione said.

"I've been sitting down there all night thinking about how much I want to kiss you, and it's not like anyone is going to come up here. Fred and his sister have got everyone playing some game that involves changing hair color and eating totally grotesque things," Scorpius reasoned.

Hermione smiled. "George passed his love of mischief to his kids, that's for sure. I'll bet Angelina needs a stiff drink every night."

"Not really my thing," Scorpius said. "Here," he pulled her face toward his and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Scorp," Hermione protested, looking at the open door.

"Please, Hermione," Scorpius breathed against her lips, kissing her more deeply this time, his tongue delving into her mouth and tasting her. She moaned against him and breathed in his scent.

Hermione gave in momentarily, wrapping her arms around his neck and turning into him. A kiss wouldn't hurt. No one was around. "God, Scorp," she moaned against him as she felt his fingers moving up the silk of her dress, teasing her just as he knew she liked.

"Watching you all night and not being able to touch..." he panted against her, letting his sentence trail off, showing her what he'd wanted to do to her all night by reaching one hand up her skirt and feeling the soft skin of her thigh.

She arched into him as his fingers ghosted against the lace crotch of her knickers and attacked his mouth again, pulling him practically on top of her as she tried to devour as much of him as she could before they had to go back downstairs. He grunted as his pelvis tilted, letting his erection brush against her leg as he moved to push her back down on Ginny's bed.

"Scorp! Hey, I saw you come up here and..."

Hermione and Scorpius broke apart instantly, terror in their eyes as they saw Albus standing in the doorway of Ginny's old bedroom.

"Oh," he said dumbly, while his eyes doubled in size as he took in the sight of his Aunt and Godmother obviously in the middle of a make-out session with his roommate and best friend.

"Shit, Al," Scorpius said, when he could get his mouth to function again.

Hermione pushed away from him and stood up, feeling the horror of the situation wash over her. "I've got to go," she said, pushing past Al and down the stairs. She had no idea what to do, but she knew she did _not_ want to be at the Burrow when Al told them what had happened. She knew she should try to explain, but the terror made her flee. How could she have been so stupid? Why did she let Scorpius talk her into that kiss?

Scorpius watched her dart from the room and struggled between two instincts: to follow her, or to deal with Albus. Since Albus was starting at him with a confused but angry look, he figured he'd better deal with that first. He had to keep this contained.

"What the fuck, Scorp? My Aunt?" he nearly screeched.

"Albus, if you care about me at all, you will keep quiet and listen," Scorpius said, his voice nearly pleading. He hoped their friendship was strong enough to make the other man understand and most importantly, keep his mouth shut.


	11. On Display

**On Display **

* * *

Hermione had worked herself up into a full-blown panic by the time she'd Apparated into her living room. _What an absolute idiot!_

She'd let herself get taken over by the heat of the moment, and she knew it would cost her everything. She'd been in the Burrow for Merlin's sake. Damn Scorpius for tempting her. Damn herself for giving in.

She paced back and forth as she tried to come up with an explanation, any explanation, for when the Weasley clan descended on her demanding to know what she was doing fucking a Malfoy half her age. She knew there would be angry questions and accusations. And her children - _Merlin, her children_. What would they say? Scorpius was their school friend.

She shuffled over to the kitchen a poured herself a massive glass of wine. Downing it in three gulps, she poured another. Whatever the case, she wanted to be drunk when all hell broke loose.

* * *

Albus was both shocked and confused as he stared back at Scorpius. After all the images and possibilities played out in his mind, he was finally able to begin to listen. "This better be good," he said, pulling up his mother's old desk chair as he waited for his best friend to explain why he'd just seen him dry humping his Aunt. His usually calm friend was shaking with anxiety, and he felt a little unnerved seeing him like that.

"Hermione and I have been seeing each other for two months," Scorpius started, his toned hushed as if anyone could be listening. "We met at the pub and just… hooked up. I liked her, a lot, and I begged her to continue our relationship. She didn't initiate this. I want you to know that before you judge her. I pushed, and I am the one who should take all the blame."

"Scorp, she's old enough to be your mother," Albus chastized, still trying to wrap his head around the situation. "She's my fucking Aunt. Don't you see how weird this is for me?"

Scorpius sighed. "That's why I didn't intend to tell you. This has nothing to do with you, Al. This is between Hermione and me. She's terrified of her family finding out, Albus. Please don't tell anyone."

Albus considered his friend for a moment. "You know I won't tell anyone. It wouldn't do any good anyway. Everyone would freak out, and you and Aunt Hermione would be miserable. But, you have to know that people _will_ find out. If you keep this going, where do you expect it to end? If it's more than just a fling, you can't expect to live in secret forever."

Scorpius sighed, knowing his friend was right. Eventually, they'd break up, or it would have to come out. "Right now, I just want her. If secrecy comes with that, I'm okay with it."

Albus' expression softened and he looked at Scorpius with renewed sympathy. "Your father will have kittens when he finds out," Albus said, smirking and hoping to lighten the heavy mood in the room.

Scorpius seemed to sigh with relief when he realized that, not only was Albus going to keep his secret, he wasn't angry with him. "Well, I'm hoping he doesn't find out. At least not for a long time."

"James is going to be heartbroken," Albus said.

Scorpius chuckled and embraced his best friend. "Thanks for understanding," he said as they both started out of the room and back downstairs.

* * *

Hermione was drunk. She was flat-out, sloppy drunk. She'd already slipped into her nightclothes in case she passed out, and was sipping on her sixth glass of wine when the Floo flared. She rolled her eyes when Scorpius stepped out. "Here to warn me of the villagers with pitchforks?" she slurred.

"Are you drunk?" he asked, smiling and raising one eyebrow questioningly.

"it's my perog-per-peroga...fuck it. It's my body, I can drink what I want," she pouted.

"Hermione," Scorpius started, coming near her, but she shook her head.

"Get the fuck away from me," she hissed. "I hope you got what you wanted, 'cause this is over," she said, gesturing towards her body.

His heart hammered in his chest as he watched her, drunk and disheveled, telling him that she wanted him out of her life. "Hermione, please. Albus isn't going to say anything."

"Right," she rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he'll keep this to himself." Scorpius was about to explain when she jumped off the couch and turned on him. "I _told_ you to keep your hands to yourself. I _told_ you no one could find out and you didn't care. Do you want to wave your accomplishments in everyone's face or something? Congrats! You fucked War Hero, Hermione Granger!"

While she was screaming and ranting, all Scorpius could feel was incredibly hurt. He reminded himself she was drunk. "Hermione, this is not you. Take a Sobering Potion and we can talk about this rationally."

"Don't talk to me like that," she snapped. "I don't need a potion. I see everything very clearly. How long until the press knows? Just let me know so I can inform my children of the impending explosion."

"Damn it, Hermione!" Scorpius finally snapped. "I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm also not interested in 'bragging' about getting you in the sack. You might be able to understand that if you hadn't drunk your weight in wine!"

Hermione's mouth snapped shut as he yelled at her. Scorpius never yelled. "I told you Albus wouldn't tell anyone, and he _won't. _While you were sitting here feeling sorry for yourself, did you ever bother to think about the fact that I am part of this equation too? That my best friend caught us, and maybe I was worried about losing _his_ friendship as well? No. For the biggest bleeding heart in the Wizarding World, you can be incredibly self-centered."

Hermione's eyes watered as she was struck by the absolute truth of what he was saying. "Now," he continued, "I'm getting you a Sobering Potion, and we are going to talk about this." She just nodded dumbly as he walked into the bathroom and fiddled around in the medicine cabinet until he found what he needed. She always kept a few Sobering Potions on hand in case of emergency. He stomped back into the room and roughly pressed the flask into her hand, still seething. She drank it obediently and felt the fogginess lift from her head.

"Is my Hermione back, or do we still have more theatrics coming?" Scorpius asked, barely suppressing his aggravation.

Hermione glared at him. As much as he may have been right about her momentary selfishness, he wasn't blameless in this situation. "Just because I'm sober doesn't mean I'm not still incredibly angry."

"I understand. I shouldn't have pushed you," Scorpius said. "But do you know what it's like to realize that sleeping with me is so humiliating that you have to get trashed to deal with it?"

"You know it's not about that," Hermione countered. "Did you see how Albus reacted? And that's going to be mild compared to the reaction we'll get from the rest of my family...not to mention yours," she reasoned.

"He was shocked. Anyone would be, Hermione," Scorpius said. "But he listened, and he understood. I'm not saying your ex-husband, or Rose and Hugo would be so understanding. I know my father wouldn't. But it wasn't the end of the world, for now."

Hermione sighed, plopping down on the couch. "We can't do that again. No touching or kissing anywhere in public," she said.

Scorpius thought about what Albus said, but shoved it aside. True, they probably couldn't stay a secret forever, but he didn't want to fight that battle at the moment.

"Okay," he said, nodding in agreement. It wasn't really what he wanted, but he couldn't push her too far, at least not now.

* * *

_February 2021_

"You look terrible as usual, Granger," Draco said across the table as she sat down with him.

"Yes, Malfoy. I know. I'm ugly, bushy headed, and inferior. Now, can we move past the childish nonsense and get down to work? I'd like to get construction started on this hospital before the end of time."

Draco smirked at her and nodded his head. She almost thought there was respect in the gesture, but she didn't dwell on it. Since New Years, every other day was filled with a new hoop he wanted her to jump through. With only three weeks until principle construction was set to begin, she just wanted him out of her hair as soon as possible.

"I see no reason to stop the construction, except..." Draco began. Hermione sighed heavily and Draco took sick pride in her frustration. "I want stricter wording dealing with the rehabilitation of werewolves. They will not simply be allowed to roam free. Psychological evaluation is essential for discharge."

Hermione gritted her teeth. "Don't you think that's a bit unfair? They are guilty of nothing but being bitten."

"Wake up, Granger," Draco scoffed. "We all know the majority of werewolves are dangerous. Most are not like your precious Lupin."

Hermione glared at him. "And what if we detained all Purebloods? You know, to ensure they don't hold archaic ideas about Muggle-borns, or old allegiances to Voldemort," her eyes flashed, and she knew she'd hit him with a low blow, but she didn't care. He was absolutely infuriating.

"Fuck you," Draco said, his eyes blazing with barely repressed anger. "That is my stipulation. Take it, or leave it."

"Fine," Hermione agreed. "But, only an evaluation will be required and it will be done with extreme courtesy to the patient."

"Whatever you want, Granger," Draco said, but his playful smirk was gone. He was brooding now. The rest of evening was like pulling teeth, but when they finally finished, Hermione had every hope that all of his hoops had been successfully cleared.

* * *

"Oh, come here," Scorpius said, an adorable grin on his face. "I'm sorry you had a long day."

"That man!" Hermione grunted in frustration.

"I know. Trust me," Scorpius laughed.

"And it's like he enjoys making people crazy. Like he gets some sick satisfaction out of it." Scorpius just nodded. He knew all too well how his father made most people feel, including himself. "At first I thought he was just messing with me. Then I thought he might harbor some sort of childish crush..."

Scorpius choked at that. "Sorry," Hermione grinned, realizing how weird that would be for her lover. "But really, I think he's just twisted. I think he hates me for some unknown reason, and he's just getting off on making me miserable."

"Could be," Scorpius said with a shrug.

Hermione chuckled. "He's your father. You are supposed to tell me that I just don't understand him."

"Well, I don't understand him myself, so I could hardly fault you for not understanding him," Scorpius reasoned.

"Anyway, I'm done with him...for the next few weeks at least. So, let's waste no more time talking about Draco Malfoy and move onto more interesting things," she said, cocking her eyebrow at her lover.

"Mmmm, that sounds like a very good idea," Scorpius said, his voice low and husky as he wrapped his fingers around her ankle and pulled her forward until she was sitting astride him. "What did you have in mind?" he purred against her lips, letting his fingers move up the outside of her thighs and around her waist.

"Well," she said, seductively, "I was thinking, maybe you could take all my clothes off and fuck me until I can't see straight." She felt his cock twitch in his trousers, even through her restrictive corporate suit.

"Have I ever told you how sexy you look in these business clothes?" Scorpius asked. "Like a hot librarian, or something."

Hermione pouted, "Hot librarian? Are you sure we never attended Hogwarts together?"

"Nope," Scorpius said with a lusty grin. "I'm pretty sure I would have remembered this arse walking through the corridors of Hogwarts."

Hermione smiled back, always happy to hear him praise her finer attributes. "Mmm, well, as much as you like the suit, do you mind if I get out of it?"

"By all means..." Scorpius replied, sitting back in a relaxed pose as Hermione moved off his lap and stood before him, her deft fingers already unclasping her jacket buttons. She bit her lip seductively as she slowly peeled the material away, and as silly as she might have felt in different circumstances stripping like this, now she only felt wanton desire. Scorpius awakened something inside her that she didn't even know existed until he came into her life.

She threw the jacket behind her and worked on the buttons of her red silk shirt. Her eyes remained on him as he shifted in his seat, the hardness of his cock outlined in his tight fitting jeans. His dark stare was enough to make her pussy clench with lust and she couldn't wait to have his hands on her again.

When she had all the buttons undone, she teased him a bit, letting the material hang there without opening it, just to see how long he could last sitting there, just watching. "Hermione..." he breathed, his voice deep and seductive.

She smiled at that and took pity on him, opening the shirt wide to expose her navy blue, lace bra. She let the shirt hang off her shoulder for just a moment before sliding it off her body and tossing it in the same direction as the suit jacket. She saw him shift again, this time, moving his hand over the bulge in his pants and lightly rubbing.

"Like the show?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," he hissed. "Now, take off the trousers." She felt a shiver run down her spine as his command washed over her. She loved him like this, helpless to his own surging desire to take her.

She watched his hand lightly rub his cock from outside his pants as she flicked the button of her fly open. He wasn't doing enough to get himself off, but the light moans escaping his mouth told her it felt good.

Easing the zip down, she let the wool material fall around her hips as she tucked her thumbs inside, pulling them down, over her ass and to the floor. She looked up at him with a wink as she bent over, giving him quite a view of her breasts as they spilled over the top of her bra.

Standing back up, she turned around, giving Scorpius the full view of her in nothing but her bra and knickers. His breath was coming out in pants and she hadn't even touched him. She felt pride surge through her as she watched him on her couch, fondling himself and panting like a virgin.

"Take off the rest," he ordered, though his voice was so low, she wouldn't have heard him if she wasn't tuned into his every move and sound. A thrill of excitement ran through her at the thought. There was something totally dirty about standing naked in front of a fully dressed man.

Her cunt clinched again, and she felt the wetness of her desire begin to pool in the crotch of her knickers. Starting at the top, she unlatched her bra and let it fall down her arms, the heavy weight of her breasts free from confinement.

"Fuck," he whispered. It seemed, no matter how many times he'd seen her naked, and in how many positions, he still found himself overwhelmed with how sexy she was. The thought make her stomach do flip flops and her pussy pulse.

She ran her hands down her stomach to the top of her knickers and stuck a hand inside. She'd give him a show, alright. Her fingers threaded through the neatly trimmed hair of her pussy and delved into her slit, feeling how engorged her clit was, and how wet stripping for Scorpius had made her.

She moaned as she rubbed against her clit and her legs shook. "Take them off," Scorpius demanded, his voice rough. "I want to watch."

They'd never done this before. They had sex all the time, but they'd never been patient enough for these sorts of games. The thought of him watching her was mortifying and thrilling. Thrilling outweighed the mortification. She nodded more to herself than him before removing her hand from her knickers and hooking her thumbs into the sides of them to pull them down in one slow motion.

She kicked them off behind her before turning to look for the proper place to give him his show. Smiling to herself, she pulled the armchair over to the center of the room and sat upon it, spreading her legs wide and resting them over the arms of the chair.

"Yeah, baby," Scorpius groaned. He hadn't moved a muscle in several moments, and he seemed to have no intention of taking his own clothes off or joining her. She bit her lip, pushing the embarrassing thought aside and moved her hands into position.

One hand she used to pluck at her very hard nipples while she ran the other up and down her dripping slit. "I'm so wet for you," she moaned, figuring if she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. Besides, Scorpius would not judge her. She trusted him completely.

"Fuck, Hermione..." he swore, moving his hands from where they'd been rubbing the outline of his cock to the pillow next to him on the couch. He gripped it hard as his eyes never left her body. "I'm close to coming already. Just watching you watch me makes me want to blow," he moaned.

She moved her fingers back up to her clit and rubbed in a circular motion that she knew would put her on the verge of coming in moments. She then shifted her fingers so they entered her pussy just enough to gather more moisture. Her breath hitched as she threw her head back with a low moan. "Feels so good. Not as good as you, though," she gasped.

"Come for me, Hermione. Come all over those wet fingers. Drip onto the chair. I want to watch you come thinking about me," his breath was labored and his voice was so rough she felt his longing in her depths. He was holding onto his last shreds of control as she finger fucked herself in front of him.

"Close," she warned, moving the finger she'd had at her breast down to join the one rubbing her clit, and she moaned again. Using her now free hand, she stuck her index finger inside herself, reaching up to the spot Scorpius was so good at stimulating and rubbed it in time with the circular motion of her clit. Her hips bucked in the chair and she gasped.

"Oh, Merlin! Shit! I'm coming!" she cried out, her body arching off the chair. If she'd been the least bit cognizant, she'd have worried she'd fall out, but at the moment all she could think about was the thumping of her heart through her pussy as she clamped down around her small finger and rode out one of the most intense orgasms she'd ever had.

"FUCK! Scorp!" she cried, her moans becoming whines for mercy as her body shook to completion.

Her head was still dazed from orgasm when she felt Scorpius roughly pull her from the chair and toss her over his shoulder like a caveman. On a normal day, this would have been cause for complaint, but at the moment, he could do whatever he wanted with her and she'd gladly have begged for more.

He dropped her down on the bed before ripping at his own clothes. He'd never seen something so hot in his own life. The only thing that kept him from whipping out his own cock and coming with her was the desire to come buried deep within her: his favorite place.

She was staring up at him now, desire written all over her face, and he couldn't help but feel eternally grateful that she stepped into his pub that night. He wanted her with every fiber of his being.

He scrambled onto the bed once he'd rid himself of his clothes and hissed as his painfully hard cock made contact with the silky smoothness of her skin. "I'm not going to last," he warned. He knew he'd probably come after a few strokes. He'd been ready to blow for a while.

"Just fuck me already," Hermione moaned, pulling him down to her. She took his lips in hers and angled her hips so that his cock was pressing into her.

"Yesss," he hissed feeling the tension he'd been feeling since she first peeled off her jacket start to dissipate. It was replaced with indescribable pleasure as her tight, wet cunt hugged his cock.

"Scorp, right there. Please!" she cried out, her arms reaching up to his shoulders where she dug her nails into his skin. He loved when she did that. It made his cock pulse. He angled his hips just as he knew she liked it and thrust in again and again. He could feel her pussy pulsing around him from her first, self-induced, orgasm and she was getting tighter and wetter. He wanted her to come again. He had to hold on until she did.

"Don't stop! Ahhh," she cried, her hips bucking against his.

"Come, Hermione. Come on my cock," he begged. He needed to explode. He could feel his balls tightening. So close...almost there...

"FUCK!" he cried out as her pussy clamped down hard around him. She milked him dry as he shot is load deep inside her, panting together as they both rode the wave of their mutual orgasm.

"Scorp! Scorp! Scorp!" she cried over and over like a prayer and he never wanted her to stop.

"I love you," he said, looking down at her as she stared up at him sated and happy. He hadn't meant to say it exactly like that, and he knew it wasn't romantic, but it was true and he wanted her to know. He never wanted her to question how serious he was about this.

"Scorp, I..." she started, her brows furrowing.

"Don't say it," he said with a smile. "I don't need to hear it, and I don't want you to say it until you mean it. I just wanted you to know." She looked at him seriously for several moment before smiling and pulling him close.

"Thank you," she said, and he knew she understood.

* * *

Evan Marchbanks came from a long line of esteemed Witches and Wizards. His great-grandmother Griselda Marchbanks was a well-respected elder in the Wizengamot, known for perfecting the testing system within Wizarding schools. Because of his family reputation, he had a habit of walking around with his nose in the air at all times.

Generally, he did not wander into Muggle London unless entirely necessary. He'd been accepted as a star intern for the 'Improper Use of Magic Office' under the current director, Mafalda Hopkirk. While this job had him writing report after report about the Statute of Secrecy and Muggle relations, he never felt very comfortable around Muggles. It wasn't a sense of superiority. It was just how he felt. He'd never dare treat a Muggle poorly.

Today, though, he couldn't escape the busy streets of Muggle London. He'd recently fallen for a Muggle-born witch and had big plans for their first Valentine's Day which included him showing her that he was interested in her cultural upbringing. It was all very politically correct, but he didn't mind.

He was somewhat at a loss as he moved in and out of the shops. It was a steep learning curve, figuring out the proper stores, but finally, he seemed to locate what he was looking for. The typical box of chocolates and a Muggle Valentine card game. He smiled as he considered how much she'd love it.

As he was walking back toward the Leaky Cauldron, his eye caught on a large and dark painting hanging in the window of an art gallery. Normally, he wouldn't notice such a thing. Art never interested him, not even Wizarding art, which was much better, in his opinion, than boring motionless Muggle art, but something about this painting struck him. There was a familiarity about it. Something he could remember, but couldn't quite place.

He stepped closer, almost knocking down a woman in his quest to figure out why this deeply depressing picture would attract his attention from yards away. His eyes caught on something, the moment he realized what it was, he couldn't believe he didn't notice it immediately. _The Dark Mark_. It was abstract, but it was there. He nearly dropped his packages in his haste to get back to the Leaky Cauldron. He needed to alert someone at once.


	12. Auror Potter

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. First I got the flu, then my husband, then my one-year-old. It's been a Looooooooonnnnggggg week. I know it's not a very long chapter, but it's essential. Enjoy!**

**Auror Potter **

* * *

_March 2021_

Hermione decided she'd spent a little too much time away from her old friends and finally gave in to brunch with the Potters. As strange as things had been, they were her friends and they had been nothing but friendly to her lately. The first few minutes were a little forced, but after everyone relaxed, things were like they'd always been and Hermione was extremely grateful. She'd missed Harry a lot since the divorce.

"So, are you seeing anyone new, Hermione? The press has been so quiet about your life lately," Ginny said as they sipped coffee in the sitting room of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"No," she said, lying easily. "With everything going on with the new hospital, I've been too busy to even think about dating anyone."

"When will it be complete?" Harry asked.

"I don't even want to think about it," Hermione chuckled. "If Malfoy doesn't cause too many problems, we should be able to open this time next year."

"Malfoy," Harry nearly spat. Hermione knew that Harry held very few grudges over the years. The hurt, pain, and loss of the war had matured him, and he hadn't any place to hold resentment and hate. However, for Draco Malfoy, there was a special place in his consciousness for never-ending annoyance and mistrust.

"I know," Hermione said with a laugh. This, besides the fact that he was young enough to be her son, was one of the biggest reasons she could never reveal her relationship with Scorpius. Harry knew that Malfoy's son was nothing like his father. Hell, he allowed Albus to live with him. But he also would never trust the boy completely simply because of who sired him. Hermione dating any Malfoy would have been cause for apoplectic rage by her close friends and family. That he happened to be twenty years old would only make things worse.

"He's an absolute nightmare," Hermione admitted, shaking the thoughts of her lover from her head. "No exaggeration."

Harry and Ginny both chuckled. "Makes you wonder how that kid of his turned out so, dare I say, normal," Ginny said. Hermione's great self-control was the only reason she didn't blush bright red at the mention of Scorpius.

"If you can call metal sticking out of his face normal," Harry said, quirking his eyebrow at his wife.

Hermione chuckled at that. "You sound like an old man," she pointed out.

"Younger than you," he said, puffing out his chest dramatically.

"I'm serious, though," Ginny continued. "Scorpius is a good kid. And humble. It's like he was raised by totally different people."

"If you think about it," Hermione said, "Hogwarts raised us all."

"True," Harry admitted.

"Slytherin House is different now. There's no place for that racist bigotry to breed and grow. It gets stifled. In fact, Dumbledore would have done well to integrate the houses long ago." Hermione had always wondered why Dumbledore allowed the Slytherin House to become what it had. He could have changed things. It was all water under the bridge now.

"True," Harry admitted again. "It is nice to know that the kids are all getting along now."

All three nodded in complete agreement. Their children were very lucky.

* * *

Scorpius was in the shower when Hermione got to her flat. She knew he'd spent a few hours at his studio before coming over and was probably covered in paint and Merlin knew what else. She smiled as she thought about what it would be like for him to live with her permanently.

Now that Albus knew the truth, Scorpius stayed with her much more often, but he _did_ have his own place as an option, and on some nights, she missed him. She couldn't believe how much sometimes. She'd never felt like this about Ron. Not even when they first started dating.

It scared her, and excited her. The problem was, she knew it couldn't last. This was what she'd tried to protect herself from in the beginning. She was...well, she was in love with him. She could admit it to herself even if she couldn't admit it to him yet. But what could come of it? They'd never be accepted, and she'd be heartbroken in the end.

Still, she couldn't stop herself. They were headed over a cliff and she just kept running. She entertained fantasies where she told everyone that she loved Scorpius and wanted to be with him, and they all congratulated her, even Ron. She knew they were just that - fantasies.

"What has you thinking so hard already?" Scorpius drawled from the hallway, a towel loose around his waist and another in his hand drying his hair. Her lips curled up into a smile.

"You," she said.

"Good answer," he said, smirking at her. "I have something to show you."

Coming into the living room, he took her by the hand and led her over to the far wall near her study nook. "I thought you should have it. It looks beautiful in here, and it is for you, after all."

Hermione smiled as she saw that he'd hung the nude he'd painted of her. Generally, she wouldn't want naked pictures of herself on her living room wall, but considering that it was abstract, she found it not only appropriate, but perfect. "Thank you, Scorpius," she smiled.

"Come here," he said, kissing her on the neck as he wrapped his wet arms around her. "I love you," he said. He didn't say it often, but he _had_ said it more than once since the first time. He never expected a response and she never gave him more than an intense kiss for his declarations. She just knew, if she said it back...that was it. There was no turning back.

"How was the studio?" Hermione asked, following him into the bedroom where he began to dress.

"Good. I got a lot of work done," Scorpius said.

"That's really good. Before you know it, you'll be making millions of pounds off your work," Hermione promised. Scorpius just rolled his eyes and grinned at her.

* * *

"I'm certain," Evan Marchbanks said confidently to the short bald man who was staring at him with a grim expression. "Malfoy. The shop owner knew exactly who the artist was. He bought it from the man directly. There are more."

"Malfoy? As in son of the wealthiest man in England, Draco Malfoy?" Phineas Russet said heavily. It wasn't really a question. He knew very well what the overachieving intern was telling him. Scorpius Malfoy had broken the Statute of Secrecy in the most heinous way, multiple times. If the media didn't cause enough problems, Draco Malfoy certainly would.

"Yes," Marchbanks said, excitedly. He looked as if he'd caught the biggest fish in the ocean. Clearly he was too young to understand the greater implications of convicting a Malfoy of a serious crime. Lesser men had tried. The only thing that had finally done in Lucius Malfoy was the fall of the greatest evil Wizard of all time. Even then, his slippery offspring got off completely free.

"How many are there?" Russet asked, realizing his thoughts of retiring early for the evening were totally gone. This matter must have been researched with the greatest of finesse. He, head of the Auror Department, had heard nothing of it, even as Marchbanks had been investigating for weeks.

"I've found seven in all," the excited intern answered. "They are crafty, but they all deal with You-Know-Who."

"The man has been dead twenty years, I think we can use his bloody name," Russet snapped. Evan just nodded awkwardly.

"Fine," Phineas finally said. He really had no choice. "My Aurors will follow up your research and take care of it."

"But of course you'll need to keep the Department of..."

"Yes," the old Auror said in a frustrated tone. "You will get your recognition, Marchbanks. Now, go." The younger man nodded again before turning on his heel and stalking out the door.

* * *

"Mum, what's with the weird art?" Rose asked.

"Why is it weird?" Hermione asked. She knew her daughter would not recognize her as the woman in the picture. Still, she'd been hoping no one really noticed the new addition at all.

"I don't know," Rose said with a shrug. "It just doesn't seem like your taste. A little lewd."

Hermione laughed. "A bit of a prude, are we?" she joked.

Rose blushed. "No," she said, looking down. "It's just very, graphic."

"I don't think so," Hermione said looking at the painting again. "It's intense. That's why I like it. The artist really must have found this woman beautiful. I like art that makes me feel something."

"I guess I understand that," Rose said. "I'm just still not used to your new life," she admitted. When she saw the hurt look on her mother's face, she hurried to explain. "Not that there is anything wrong with your life. I just mean - even though I know you are a woman in your own right, the same as I, you are also my mother, and for so many years that's all I thought you were. It just makes me think," she explained.

"We all go through that, honey," Hermione assured her.

"I remember thinking my mother was only ever _my_ mother. I never considered her hopes, dreams, or personal life. She didn't have one as far as I was concerned. But the older you get, the more you realize, we are all the same - mothers, daughters, all women. We have our own lives, thoughts, desires. We make mistakes. Big ones. We feel hurt, pain, love..." Hermione explained.

"I get that," Rose assured her. "I'm not sure Hugo ever will," she laughed. "He's a bit like Dad in some ways."

Hermione chuckled. "And we love him for that. But yes, it's a harder lesson for men. They are stubborn."

"Don't I know it," Rose said with an exaggerated sigh.

"Teddy trouble?" Hermione asked.

"Not trouble. I adore him. But sometimes he's a bit thick," Rose said.

Hermione chuckled. "They all are." She couldn't help but note, personally, that Scorpius was less thick than most.

* * *

Harry was tired by the time his boss knocked on his door. It was almost time to leave and he hoped he wasn't going to be sent out on some errand beforehand. He had a great deal of clout in the Auror Department, so he could usually pick and choose cases, but there were times when Phineas Russet insisted.

"Harry," his boss called as he entered the office.

"Yes, sir," Harry replied.

"I've got a bit of a touchy case," Russet admitted before sitting in the chair across from Harry's desk.

"Oh?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"I'm coming to you about this for multiple reasons. Not the least of which is that the accused is your own son's roommate," Russet began.

"Scorpius Malfoy? What did he do?" the Head Auror had his full attention now. If Albus was in danger...or in trouble...

Russet placed a file on Harry's desk which he immediately opened. "What am I looking at?" he asked.

"Seems Scorpius Malfoy fancies himself an artist. He's been painting for a Muggle University. These are the ones we've found. They are all related to Death Eater activity," Russet explained.

"So, are we suggesting he's a Death Eater, or simply that he's broken the Statue of Secrecy?" Harry said, perusing the pictures. Now that it was pointed out, he could see the Dark Marks, the distorted faces of Voldemort, the magical elements. It was like a light switch had been turned on. Still, he'd had the boy in his home numerous times, and while he was a little quiet, he certainly didn't seem to have any of his grandfather's old tendencies.

"We don't know," Russet said. "Given the subject matter, we cannot be too careful. This is serious. When the press finds out... Draco Malfoy's son, painting Dark Marks and selling them to Muggles. Can you imagine?"

Harry nodded his head. Yes, that would be a nightmare. "So, would you like me to head up the research?" Harry asked, feeling the need to be personally involved.

"It's mostly done. I left you out of the tedious parts," Russet explained. "I'd like to you head up the investigation now."

Harry nodded. This was going to give him a headache. He could already tell.

* * *

Draco sighed as he looked into his glass of firewhisky. He missed his son. He knew he was being stubborn, but if the boy wouldn't do as he was told, he had to be punished. It was the way things were done. At least he wasn't using the more medieval tactics Lucius preferred. Draco _could_ make his son fall in line if he wished. But the thought of using Malfoy torture techniques made his skin crawl.

Astoria was upset with him. Rarely did she let it show outwardly, but he knew her long enough to know the chilly silence was not just part of her personality anymore. She was not pleased.

He downed the rest of the glass and got up from his leather armchair. He flipped the lights off with his wand and made his way to the guest bedroom where he'd been exiled for the last several weeks. The boy would come around. He had to.

* * *

Albus and Scorpius had just plopped down on the couch with Chinese takeout when there was a roar from the fireplace. "Who could that be?" Albus asked, turning around toward the Floo.

"Dad!" He cried, seeing his father in full Auror robes and a grim look on his face, he thought the worst. "What's going on? Is mum okay?"

"She's fine, Albus," Harry answered formally, looking behind his son at Scorpius.

"Scorpius Malfoy," he said, moving out of the fireplace for two more large Aurors to enter. Both Albus and Scorpius gulped in unison. Scorpius stood, walking over to Albus' father when he called his name.

"You are under arrest for violation of the Statute of Secrecy and spread of Dark propaganda," Harry said formally, trying to ignore the gasp of shock from his son as he saw the color drain from Scorpius' face. He didn't really want to believe it was true, but there were many people riding him to bring the youngest Malfoy in, and because no one could explain the paintings, he had no choice.

Scorpius' heart stopped cold in his chest. "Albus, can you let her know," he said cryptically and Albus nodded dumbly, seemingly knowing what his friend was talking about.

"Dad, come on," he tried, as the two Aurors bound Scorpius magically. "You know Scorp didn't do anything. What's going on?"

"This is an Auror matter, Albus," Harry said. "The best you can do is come up with the money to bail him out of Ministry detention when he's finished being interrogated."

"Interrogated!" Albus cried. "Dad, you know he's not a Death Eater. Come on!"

"Al, just let it go," Scorpius said, his voice trembling, despite his desire to sound calm and collected. "Just tell her, okay. And try to get some money out of my dad."

"Okay," Albus said, nodding to himself. "I'll get you out of there," he promised. Scorpius just nodded weakly and allowed the two burly Aurors to shove him through the Floo. He wasn't afraid to admit it, he was scared.


	13. Exposed

**Exposed**

* * *

"Aunt Hermione!" Albus called through the Floo. He didn't want to enter her flat uninvited. He didn't even know if she was there. _Merlin help us_...

"Albus?" Hermione cried, panicked, as she made her way to the Floo. "What is it? Is it your mother? Father? What's happened?"

"Scorpius!" Albus cried again. He was too excited and worried to even bother trying to control himself. If his father was involved in an investigation about Scorpius, that meant something was very wrong.

"Come through!" Hermione called, moving out of the way for Albus to enter. He quickly dusted himself off, his body shaking with nervous energy. Hermione guided him to the couch where she placed her own cup of tea in his hand and told him to sip.

"Albus, what's happened? Is Scorpius hurt?" The thought made her insides twist in unpleasant anxiety.

Albus shook his head, but gulped down the tea. "Not hurt," he finally said. "He's been arrested."

"Arrested?" Hermione shrieked, sounding something like Molly Weasley when she found one of her kids or grandkids doing something outrageous.

Albus nodded. "Yes. My father came to the flat and arrested him for breaking the Statute of Secrecy and spreading Dark propaganda. Her mouth snapped shut and her heart raced as Albus continued. "One minute we were just hanging out, and the next, Dad came in and arrested him. Hermione, he was scared. I could tell. I know his paintings were toeing the line, but they are just his therapy. It's not propaganda. He never intended for anyone in the Wizarding world to see them anyway..."

Hermione stopped him, with her hand, her own brain working in overdrive. "Did your father present him with papers? A warrant or anything?" Hermione asked, trying to work through the facts so that she wouldn't break down. This was bad. It was really, really bad.

"No," Albus said. "He knows he can come and go in our apartment any time."

Hermione nodded to herself. The Wizarding legal system had undergone quite a few changes since the days of Cornelius Fudge. Certain Muggle legal principles were upheld now, like the concept of bail, legal counsel, and right to privacy. With that came the necessity of warrants. She was still a little hazy about the rules for suspected Death Eaters, though. They were considered a whole different kind of criminal. Terrorists. _Fuck_.

"Albus, how long ago did they take him?" she asked.

"Just now," he answered. "He wanted me to come here. To tell you. I know you've seen his work. How bad is this?"

Hermione sighed, "Honestly, I'd think anyone with half a brain would realize that his work is an indictment of Dark magic and the harm it could do to those that didn't even touch it, personally. As it seems the people prosecuting him are utter morons, it doesn't look good. I need to get some money together and get him out of there. I don't want him to go into general detention."

"No," Albus said. "You can't go down there. People would know something is not right. I'm going to go to his father like he asked me to. Mister Malfoy might be a real bastard, but he won't let Scorpius sit there soiling the Malfoy name," he reasoned.

Hermione wasn't so sure. She knew Draco Malfoy was giving his son the silent treatment. "Albus, if he doesn't help, I want you to come back here. I can't leave him in there."

Albus looked at her for a long moment before nodding. "Just let me try to get Mister Malfoy to bail him out. This is not the way the two of you want to announce your relationship to the family."

Hermione nodded. She realized suddenly, with Scorpius in danger, the very last thing she'd been thinking of was keeping their cover. "Go," she instructed, leading Albus back to the Floo, "come back here and tell me everything as it happens."

"Sure," he agreed, taking a big pinch of Floo powder and disappearing through her fireplace.

Hermione walked back to the couch on shaky legs. "Oh God," she cried, letting the magnitude of the situation wash over her. She hadn't wanted to scare Albus, but this was very serious. Perceived Death Eaters or Voldemort supporters did _not_ last well in the legal system. Even with all the increased freedom in the justice system, two crimes were rarely taken lightly; exposing the Wizarding world to the Muggle world, and Dark magic ties.

She felt tears stinging her eyes as she thought of Scorpius, alone and scared, being interrogated, probably by Harry. He was the best, after all. He was a sensitive soul, even if he'd kill her for saying it aloud. His art was beautiful, and poignant, and the very _opposite_ of Dark propaganda. She had to do something. She couldn't just sit there. But where would she go? Besides, she needed Albus to find her if need be.

Getting up, she moved over to the bookcase where she kept a bottle of firewhisky for emergencies. Taking a shot, she put her glass down and took to cleaning her flat. Anything to get rid of some of the nervous energy coursing through her body.

* * *

"Scorpius, do you support Voldemort?" Harry finally asked after a moment's silence.

"No!" Scorpius cried. "How can I support someone who died before I was ever born? The art - it's not about that."

"But this is a Dark Mark, is it not?" Harry asked, pointing at the abstract mark on a portrait of one of the paintings he'd sold.

"Yes," Scorpius said. "But -..."

The door banged open behind him and Scorpius saw Albus' dad's eyes narrow.

"Do not say one more word, Scorpius," the silky voice of Draco Malfoy ordered, and Scorpius turned around to find his father sneering at Auror Potter. He was honestly shocked that his father had come. A very large part of him thought that he'd be left there to rot as a lesson. He shuddered to think what he'd have to pay back for his father's help in this.

"Malfoy," Harry said, his tone icy. The incredible Potter/Malfoy rivalry that Scorpius had always heard about was more intense than he'd imagined.

"You know very well that you cannot question my son without a solicitor," Draco said, his imposing form seeming to grow larger before Scorpius' eyes.

"I can if he doesn't object," Harry pointed out, never letting himself get riled.

Draco nearly growled. "I'm certain you made it clear that he had little choice. I know the ways of the Ministry, remember?"

"One with your history probably had many dealings with Ministry detention," Harry replied, knowing he was stepping over the line, but Draco Malfoy just unleashed that in him. He wasn't sure if Scorpius was guilty or not, yet, but he knew he'd come from the perfect home for Voldemort's teachings to take hold.

"Potter, do not make me file a complaint," Malfoy warned, and Harry knew he had the power to make his life very difficult. It was hard to fire 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' but with Malfoy's money, it wasn't hard to bury him under pounds of paperwork.

"Now I have posted the proper bail, and Scorpius is free to go. He shall report of questioning Friday morning with proper legal counsel. I suggest you make it quick," Draco said haughtily, and Potter cursed Malfoy and his money. Only a man of Draco's means could get the Wizengamot to approve such an unprecedented act with such speed. He'd have to play this by Malfoy's rules, for now.

Harry sighed in defeat. His hands were tied. No one in the office could argue that he hadn't done his best. Besides, he wanted to do some more research; something was not right. Scorpius Malfoy was not a Death Eater. He'd stake his career on it. However, something_ was_ questionable about his paintings. In addition, why sell them to Muggles? Perhaps, after a good night's sleep on the matter, he could approach it from a new angle. "You may go. But if you do not reappear Friday morning, there will be a warrant out for your arrest, and further charges will be brought against you."

Scorpius' father rolled his eyes in annoyance as Scorpius' magical bonds were loosened and he stood, breathing a sigh of relief. His father had come. And while there was a difficult conversation ahead, he felt confident they could explain this misunderstanding.

"Let's go," Draco said, impatiently, following his son out of the interrogation room.

"Father, thank you," Scorpius said.

"We'll talk about this at home," Draco said, his tone hard and firm.

"I have to go to Albus first," Scorpius said. "He will want to know everything is okay, and I need to work on my defense. If I can just explain..."

"Do you think they really care about your explanations? You were incredibly foolish, and you have brought added shame on this family's name with your silly little drawings. It is time to put that nonsense aside," his father said. "You are coming home with me, and we are going to work out how to fix this mess."

Scorpius' eyes narrowed this time. So this was how it was. He should have known better. This was how his father planned to get him to do exactly what he wanted. Bail him out of detention, get the charges dropped, and Scorpius could look forward to a life in his father's company, married to some insipid pureblood, and he'd have nothing to say about it. His father saved him, after all.

"No," he said, steeling for battle. "I don't live with you. My home is my flat. I have a life and other responsibilities. If you don't wish to help me, then fine. But I'm not going to be who you want me to be because you are blackmailing me."

"You ungrateful brat," Draco spat, his voice low, ever mindful of the people who could possibly overhear them. "Do you have any idea how much money I've had to pay to get you out of there? Do you have any idea...?"

"Yes Father, I do," Scorpius said, his tone softening. "Do you have any idea what it feels like to be forced into something you don't want?"

Draco's eyes narrowed but he said nothing. "If you wish to go, I cannot stop you," Malfoy said icily. "But remember, without my help, you will rot in Azkaban."

"I do want your help, Father," Scorpius pled. "I just need some time. Can't you just understand that?"

Draco said nothing, and Scorpius sighed in disappointment. "I'll be at the Manor later this week. I promise." When he got no response, he sighed again, turned on his heel, and walked down the hall toward the Atrium.

Draco Malfoy lifted his wand and aimed it at his son's back. "_Persequo,_" he muttered, watching the magic flow from his wand and onto its intended target. Now, at least, he'd know where the boy was at all times.

* * *

"Oh, Merlin, I was so worried," Hermione cried, hugging Scorpius tight to her when he tumbled out of the Floo. "What happened? What exactly are the charges? Did Harry interrogate you? Did you get a feel for what he's really thinking? How did you get out? When do you have to go back? Who's the solicitor on the case?"

"Hermione!" Scorpius shouted, halting her barrage of questions. "Please, just, let's sit down. I came straight here. I need a minute."

Hermione took a shaky breath. "Okay," she said, nodding to herself. "I'm just glad you are home."

"Me too," Scorpius said, letting the tension in his muscles relax. "Your friend is bloody terrifying," he finally said, trying to cut the tension.

"Please tell me what happened, Scorp. I've been freaking out for the last four hours," Hermione said, snuggling in closer to her lover.

"Albus and I were watching television when his father barged in. He had two other Aurors with him and they arrested me for breaking the Statute of Secrecy and spreading Dark propaganda," Scorpius said.

"I know that part," Hermione sighed. "Do they have all of your paintings?"

"Not that I'm aware of. They only showed me four of them. They wanted me to admit that I'm a Death Eater," he snorted.

"Harry should know better," Hermione pouted. "No Death Eater would befriend Albus Potter. Besides, you've never had any sort of record involving pureblood bigotry. The only mark against you is your last name, and that is _not_ evidence."

Scorpius sighed. "I never even considered they'd think _I_ was a Death Eater. I knew I was breaking the law, but I always figured I could get through it if I got caught. I mean, what Muggle would have any idea what my artwork really means?" he reasoned. Hermione nodded. When he'd first showed her his work, she was already working out his defense, should he get caught. But this - Dark propaganda - that was a charge that would be hard to shake off, and certainly would be taken seriously by the entire government.

"Did you explain? Did you tell Harry the truth?" Hermione asked.

"I tried, but my father barged in, saving the day. He bailed me out and set up a meeting with the Aurors at the end of the week. Although, now I might be without a solicitor again," he sighed.

"What does that mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well, he wanted me to come home with him tonight. I'm certain he plans to use this as leverage to get me to work at the company and marry whoever he hand-picks from one of his moronic friends' daughters," Scorpius said. "I told him that I was grateful for his help, but that I would not be blackmailed."

"Scorpius, this is serious," Hermione began. "If your father is going to help you, you have to do whatever he asks."

"Oh, so, in order to get out of this, I have to marry some airheaded twit and work at a job I hate? Great, Hermione. Thanks for the support," he snapped.

"You know that's not what I want," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes. "But be reasonable. You don't have to marry anyone. You are years from that kind of thing. But if he wants you at the Manor, you should have at least stayed there. Listen to what he has to say. Buy some time."

"No," Scorpius said shaking his head. "I'm not a pawn. I'll work something out. I'm not lying. It I tell the truth, they have to believe me," he reasoned.

"I hope you are right," Hermione said, skeptically. She'd known too many corrupt Ministry officials to believe that. "I can't...I can't even think about what could happen. Scorpius..."

"It's okay, love. We'll get through this. Al's dad is reasonable, right? He wouldn't lock me up and throw away the key if he had doubts," Scorpius said a little more confidently.

Hermione hoped he was right, but Harry didn't call all the shots. Even if he _did_ believe Scorpius, if the Ministry wanted blood, there would be little he could do to stop the ball from rolling in that direction. Malfoy could do it. He had the capital and the political power to save Scorpius, but at what price?

"Can we just forget about this right now? Tomorrow we can rehash all the facts of the case, but I just need think about something else," Scorpius said, kissing the top of her head.

"Of course," Hermione said. She could understand that. Today had been traumatic for him. She'd want a little time to forget too, if she were in his position. "Let me get the take-out menus."

Scorpius pulled her back down on the couch next to him when she got up. "I love you," he said, staring at her intently. Her own words caught in her throat. She wanted to tell him she loved him too, but for some reason she just couldn't get the words out.

"I'm always here for you," she said instead and he smiled widely at her.

"That's all I need," he replied, kissing her cheek. "Now get in there and order me some dinner!" he laughed, swatting her on the arse as she walked away. She shook her head and giggled at him. She had to believe everything would be okay. At least for the night.

* * *

"Albus, I'm not discussing this with you," Harry said with a sigh. Ginny just watched her husband and son argue. Well, Albus was doing most of the arguing. She hated to question her husband, but she found it hard to believe that Scorpius Malfoy was some sort of closet bigot. The boy was harmless.

"You know he's innocent!" Albus shouted.

"I can't discuss this with you," Harry said, his tone growing more irritated. "If he's innocent, the truth will out."

"How could you do this? Did you even speak on his behalf? Did you explain to those Aurors that he's a friend of the family?" Albus asked.

"Al, leave your father alone," Ginny finally intervened. "He does not control who is arrested and who is not. The best you can do for Scorpius is support him and help him through this. I have every confidence he'll be exonerated. But getting mad at your father will do no good." Harry looked gratefully at his wife. He hated that Albus was angry with him, but he didn't make the rules.

"If he goes to Azkaban, you'll be partially responsible," Albus spat. "I hope you are okay with that." Harry was about to respond, but his son had already disappeared through the Floo.

"Give him a few days to cool off, dear," Ginny said. "Do you really think Scorpius did this?"

"On paper, it looks bad, Ginny. But I feel like I _know_ the kid. At least enough to know he's not like his father, and certainly not like his grandfather," Harry admitted.

"What did you get out of him?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing. Just as he was about to explain his paintings his father came in. After the Malfoy solicitors get their hands on this case, there is every chance we'll never find out the truth. Either Malfoy's money will be enough to convince the Wizengamot, or it won't. Scorpius' fate rests there."

"Poor kid," Ginny said.

"Oh no, not you too," Harry moaned.

* * *

"I don't care what he said, Draco Malfoy," Astoria shouted. "He is our son. He's in trouble, and you know as well as I that he's innocent. So, swallow your damn pride and go get him!"

Draco stared at his wife, dumbfounded. She never raised her voice to him. She never raised her voice to anyone. However, when he explained that he was washing his hands of Scorpius completely if he didn't fall in line, she lost it.

"I'll not be talked to that way in my own..."

"Not _your _home. This is _our_ home. I agree that it is your right to run our home how you see fit. This is something I have always been at peace with. I enjoy it, in fact. But Scorpius is our son. You know as well as I that family sticks together," Astoria reasoned, her tone calmer as she realized she finally had his attention.

Draco sighed. "I will talk to him," he said. He would absolutely _not_ let that boy dictate to _him_ what he was going to do, but he _would_ endeavor to put him on the right track. He would acquiesce to his wife's request _and_ get what he wanted out of Scorpius. It was time to resort to more drastic measures. As much as he didn't want to remember the circumstances this family secret had been used last, he knew it was in the best interest of everyone involved.

"You do that. And bring my son home," Astoria said, turning away from Draco and heading up to the master bedroom while Draco leaned back in his desk chair. He lifted his wand and concentrated on the locator spell he'd placed on Scorpius at the Ministry that day. It would only give him an address, but at least he could find the boy.

* * *

Scorpius kissed a path down Hermione's chest between her breasts. "You always taste so good," he groaned, rocking his hips against hers before sliding down the length of the bed and hooking his fingers into the sides of her knickers, pulling down the last piece of clothing she was wearing.

"Mmmmm," was all Hermione could get out. After the stress of the day, her skin felt like it was on fire with need to touch him. She spread her legs wider to accommodate him as he licked up her slit and tongued her clit in one clean motion. "Yessss," she hissed, carding her fingers through his hair as he licked and sucked her pussy like an expert.

Her nails scraped down his scalp and he groaned against her, eliciting another moan from her perfect mouth. He could do this forever. He didn't want to think about what would happen Friday if the Aurors were unconvinced of his innocence. Would that be the last time he saw her? She couldn't very well visit him in detention, or in Azkaban.

He wasn't going to think about that now. He was going to make love to Hermione over and over until he was so exhausted he could fall asleep, and then he was going to do it all over again in the morning. Between her legs, it was hard to imagine there was anything in the world that could stop him.

"Scorp," she moaned as he flicked her clit with his tongue. "Make me come," she cried, her hands gripping him hard as her hips bucked slightly against his mouth. He redoubled his efforts, licking her just as she liked, until she came against him, her juices flowing out of her pussy and coating the bedspread beneath them. He'd barely needed to touch her to make her come undone, and she felt light headed as he moved back up her body.

"Fuck, I can't believe how good at that you are," she said with a breathy chuckle.

"Practice makes perfect, my love," Scorpius said with a wink. Hermione just grinned and pulled him in for a kiss, tasting her own come on his lips spiked her arousal again, and she wrapped both legs around his hips.

His cock instantly slipped against her wet slit and they both groaned in unison. Sliding back and forth, he let her pulsing pussy coat his cock as he rubbed it over her clit. "Please, Scorp," she cried, gripping his biceps as he passed her clit again. He knew exactly what she needed, because he needed it too.

Dipping down, he let his cock enter her in one thrust. "Yes," he moaned to himself as her wet heat surrounded him. He never felt more at home than when he was inside her. The cares of the world just melted away, and the only thing that existed was them. He wished she could understand that this was all that mattered. The outside world meant nothing. Not really. Not when they were together.

But he planned to slowly work her to that point. Every day, they got closer. Eventually, he was sure she'd understand. "Fuck me, Scorp," Hermione cried with hitching breaths. Her legs were wrapped tightly around him and he picked up the pace, looking at her face, stretched in ecstasy as he moved within her.

"Yeah, like that," she encouraged, her tiny nails now digging into his back the way he loved.

"Oh, Hermione," he cried when she shifted her hips to take him deeper.

"Need more," Hermione cried. "Let me drive."

Scorpius smiled down at her, kissing her deeply on the lips before rolling them both over at once so that she was settled on top of him, his cock still inside her. "Yes," she moaned, rolling her hips so that every inch of his cock messaged her walls.

"Fuck, I love you," she groaned, as she began to raise and lower herself on him. Scorpius' eyes went wide as he realized what she said, but she didn't seem to notice because she concentrated on her motions, beginning to ride his cock. He grinned like an idiot then, knowing she loved him but that she was too afraid to say it back to him. His fingers dug into her hips deeper as he helped her pick up pace.

"Oh Merlin!" She cried, her hands on his chest as she lifted up and down on him.

"Mmmm, ride me baby. Fuck!" he cried out feeling his cock pulse. He knew he was close.

"I'm close," Hermione warned. "I'm going to..."

"Come for me, Hermione," Scorpius encouraged, feeling his own orgasm impending. The moment her pussy contracted on him, he shot his seed deep inside her, growling in satisfaction as he came.

"What in the name of Salazar is going on here!" A voice boomed from the doorway causing both Hermione and Scorpius to still instantly, the haziness from their orgasm washed away and replaced with terror.

Hermione looked into Scorpius' eyes, fear and embarrassment in her features as she silently begged him to see who had invaded her home. She was naked, exposed and on top of her lover, and there was a man watching them. She began to tremble.

Scorpius would kill whoever broke into Hermione's flat. Looking around Hermione, his eyes doubled to twice their size when he saw his father, apoplectic with rage, staring at both of them. "Father!" he cried, but it came out as more of a squeak. His father's jaw clenched and Scorpius looked back at Hermione who seemed to be in shock. "Hermione, it's okay. It's going to be okay," he reassured her before looking back at his father.

"Scorpius," Draco started, trying to keep the disgust and rage from spilling over into violence as he looked at his only child, pinned beneath that filthy slut. "Get out from under that Mudblood whore, and put your clothes on," he demanded.

Hermione was shaking, her finger nails digging into Scorpius chest, but his anger was the only thing he was thinking at the moment. He gently extracted himself from his lover and wrapped the comforter around her to protect her modesty - as if that were possible at that point. Reaching for his underwear, he slipped them on before getting out of the bed.

"Father, I understand this is a shock, but do not speak about her like that," Scorpius said, his voice like steel. He sounded more like Draco in that moment than ever before.

"Oh, you are quite finished slumming, son," Draco sneered. "And you," he said, looking at Hermione directly. She looked up at him defiantly, but her body would not work enough to get out of the bed. A million things were going through her head, but strangely, Scorpius' safety was more important to her at the moment than their secret. She knew the shit was about the hit the fan, and she was more concerned about keeping Draco calm enough not to take it out of Scorpius.

"You can forget about molesting my son any longer. You will rue the day you ever met my family. Our business arrangement is through," Draco shouted.

"Father, leave her alone. This was my idea. I'm the one..." Scorpius started but Draco was not listening.

"Scorpius, we are leaving." Draco said.

"Father, no! I'm an adult. I can sleep with whomever I wish," Scorpius reasoned.

"Get. In. The. Floo." Draco said, every word a little more menacing.

Scorpius looked back at Hermione. He hated for this fight to spill over onto her. "Hermione, maybe I should..." he started but Hermione smiled comfortingly at him through the tears that had begun to fall down her cheeks.

"Go," she said. "Come back if you need me for _anything_."

"I'm sorry, love," Scorpius said, despite his father's impatient huff. "I never meant for this to happen. It's all my fault."

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I - I love you. It would have come out eventually. We'll get through this. Just go."

"You disgust me," Draco sneered, taking his son by the arm and marching him into the room with the Floo, clad only in his underwear. "Go!" he shouted practically throwing Scorpius in. He looked around her flat one last time, letting the rage of what he'd seen fill him once more before entering the Floo himself. That bitch was going to pay.


	14. Compulsion

**A/N: Many apologies for the delay. I had this written for a while, but with the Granger Enchanted Christmas Challenge and other things, my amazingly wonderful beta was overwhelmed. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I'm home for the holidays and I can't tell you when I'll get chapter fifteen to you, but ASAP. :) **

**Compulsion **

* * *

Hermione stared at her bedroom doorway for a full ten minutes before she snapped out of her internal debate and got out of bed. This was bad. At the moment, she was concerned with damage control. She knew that Draco would not hesitate to exploit this situation to his own advantage. His rage only made the point that he'd have this story plastered all over every new medium in the entire Wizarding World. And she knew _he'd_ write the narrative.

Most of all, she wanted to run to Malfoy Manor and save Scorpius from whatever tongue lashing - or worse - he was likely receiving. However, she knew that would do more harm than good. For now, she had to figure out how she was going to deal with the fallout. She and Scorpius would be outed. The best she could hope for was getting her family - or most of them - to understand, and in time, support her. She had to believe it was possible or she'd break down. At least she had Scorpius. At the end of the day, he'd always be hers. The thought kept her going.

* * *

"Put some clothes on," Draco spat at his son as he Flooed into the Manor after him. "Be in my study in five minutes."

Scorpius considered pointing out to his father that he was no longer a child, but realized it would probably have the opposite effect to his intentions, so he just stormed up to his old room and scrounged around for something to wear.

His mind was racing. Of all the emotional highs and lows, he couldn't even enjoy Hermione's confession that she loved him because his father was proving to be a very serious problem. He just hoped he could talk enough sense into the man to keep him from hurting Hermione by revealing their secret. Scorpius had come to terms with the fact that they'd have to come clean at some point, but not now and certainly not against their will.

Finally, he found something to wear, an old Quidditch practice shirt and some sleeping pants - it was the best he could do under the time constraint - and he marched back downstairs to his father's study with purpose.

"Father, I..." he started as he entered the room, but was quickly cut off.

"Sit," his father demanded.

"Will you let me speak?" Scorpius nearly growled as he plopped down into the chair in front of his father's desk. He felt like he was being called in to talk to McGonagall rather than his own father.

"What could you possibly say to justify your behavior? First, painting for Muggles," Draco spat. "Then, exposing our world to them," his father began enumerating his crimes with his fingers. Scorpius wanted to clarify, but he kept his mouth shut, for the moment. "And finally, the icing on the cake, fucking a Mudblood. Not just any Mudblood, mind you. One who is old enough to be your bloody mother!" Draco shouted.

"If you'd just listen to me," Scorpius said, waiting a moment to see if he'd be interrupted. When his father said nothing, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued. "It is not a crime to be an artist. I happen to enjoy the Muggle world. I have many Muggle friends and I even use Muggle technology. It's not the end of the world. I'm still a Wizard and respect my magic and my heritage. It doesn't have to be one or the other." He saw his father seething, so he continued quickly.

"Secondly, I did not expose our world. When I explain the situation, they will all understand. Not a single Muggle knows what my art is really about. They don't ask questions. They don't care. They see what they want to see in it. I have numerous witnesses that can attest to the fact that I'm no more a Death Eater than Albus Dumbledore. I just need to tell them the truth and it will work out." He heard his father scoff and he knew he was being naive, but he _had_ to believe that the truth would set him free. It was all he had.

"And finally, in regard to Hermione, I am in love with her. I seduced _her_. I'm the one that talked _her_ into making it more. The entire thing was my idea to begin with. No matter what you say, Father, I will be with her. Even if that is from a cell in Azkaban." He lifted his chin defiantly, knowing he was telling the absolute truth. His father would get on board with his relationship, or he'd be banished from his life. Nothing was worth risking her over.

Draco's eyes narrowed and he stared at his son for several long seconds. If there was one trait Scorpius had gotten honestly, it was his stubbornness. It was too bad he hadn't also gotten the Malfoy Loyalty. He'd made up his mind even before he'd walked in on that disgusting display in the Mudblood's bedroom, but now he was even more convinced that he was justified in what he'd planed to do. Scorpius was a danger to the family and to himself. He was acting irrationally. He'd pollute everything about being a Malfoy if he continued down this road. It had to be fixed. Hermione Granger provided the perfect scapegoat. Besides, he'd make sure his son never touched that filth again, and she'd get exactly what she deserved.

"Are you quite finished?" Draco finally asked, his tone ice-cold steel.

"I suppose I am," Scorpius answered.

"Good. Now that you've gotten that out of your system, this is what we are going to do," Draco began, pulling a journal from his top desk drawer. "I've resisted taking these measures with you because I always believed you'd come to your senses on your own. I never wanted to do this because I know what it's like to have your will taken away. However, you've left me no choice."

"Father, what are you talking about?" Scorpius asked, a tremor in his voice as he tried to figure out what his father was really saying.

"It is the right of the head of the Malfoy house to insure his will be done," Draco explained. "I can compel you to do my will if I feel it is in your best interest and in the interest of the family."

"Compel? Father, what are you..." Scorpius wanted to flee from the room, but he found himself unable to get up.

"It's an old family secret passed from father to son. From this point on, anything having to do with this legal matter, you will adhere to my commands. You will agree to the story our solicitor and I create to explain your woeful ignorance. You will not question it, and you will corroborate it," Draco explained, his wand pointing toward his son, and Scorpius could fell the magic surrounding him.

"What are you planning, father?" Scorpius asked, frightened by the look in his father's eyes.

"Silence!" Draco snapped, and Scorpius found himself unable to speak.

"In regard to Hermione Granger," Scorpius felt his chest tighten because he knew what was coming before the words even escaped is father's mouth. "You will not continue a relationship with her. If she speaks to you, you will ignore her. You will not write to her. You will not tell her anything about this, or the case, or yourself. She is no longer your paramour."

"Father, please..." Scorpius choked out, only barely able to speak, the power of his father's silence command wearing off. His eyes filled with tears as he knew this was not a bluff. What his father had ordered...Oh Merlin.

"Lastly," Draco said, ignoring his son. "You will come and learn the business. You will start on Monday, and eventually take over for me."

Scorpius wanted to point out that on Monday, he might very well be in Ministry detention awaiting trial, but he couldn't say anything. His brain hurt, and the magic coursing through his body made him hot and shaky. All he wanted at the moment was to kill the man who gave him life. He'd never hated anyone like he hated his father at that moment.

"Can I go?" He rasped.

"Yes," Draco said. "I'll get one of the elves to retrieve your things from that dump of a flat."

Scorpius didn't say another word; he just turned on his heel and walked back to his childhood room where he knew he'd be spending most of his time for the foreseeable future.

His fingers itched to write Hermione a note, but he couldn't. He even sat at his desk with a quill in hand for several minutes trying before he threw his inkwell at the wall and growled in frustration. How could he fix this? What could he do?

* * *

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, his hair even messier than usual. She'd obviously woken him, but she couldn't wait any long. She'd received no word from Scorpius, and she had no way of knowing what actions Draco had already taken.

"I know it's early," she said. "But I need to talk to you."

"Come in," Harry said, his tone concerned. He followed her into the kitchen where she leaned against the counter, the hem of her sweater in hand as she seemed to give herself a pep talk. "What's the matter, Hermione? Are you hurt?"

"No," she shook her head, taking a deep calming breath. "Nothing like that. Listen, I'm just going to tell you this because I have to. I just want you to let me finish before you say anything."

"Okay," Harry said, leaning against the opposite counter, crossing his arms over his chest the way he always did when he was thinking.

"Scorpius Malfoy is not a Death Eater. He's as pure of heart as one could possibly be. His art was just a personal expression for him. No Muggle could possibly know what it was about," Hermione started, wanting to deal with the legal matter before the personal ones.

"Hermione, what the hell does this..." Harry started, but she cut him off with a stern look.

"I said, let me finish!" Hermione snapped. Harry just sighed and motioned for her to continue.

"It's important to me because _he's_ important to me," Hermione explained. She took another deep breath. "Harry, I've been in a relationship with Scorpius for months. I've seen his artwork. I knew all about it. I know what it's about and what it means, and I also know every single one of the people he sold work to. None of them have a clue about Voldemort or our world. It was all innocent."

Harry stared at her for several moments, mouth agape, as he let what she said sink in. "You. And Scorpius Malfoy?" He finally said.

"Yes," Hermione answered simply.

"Hermione, he's Rose's age! He's younger than James! Are you out of your mind?" Harry shouted.

"Keep your voice down, will you!" Hermione hissed back.

"Ginny isn't even here. She left early to visit her mum," Harry said, waving off her protestation. "Hermione, tell me this is a joke."

"It's not a joke. We are together. It's very serious. I love him. And he is innocent." Hermione explained calmly. Her heart was racing, but she was doing her best job of keeping herself calm and under control. After a sleepless night and an emergency Floo call to Luna who calmed her down, she realized that her friends would either understand or they wouldn't. What mattered most was her children, and she had to be honest with them. Harry was just the easiest and most commonsense place to start.

"Hermione, you are talking about Scorpius Malfoy. Do I need to explain to you how absurd this sounds?" Harry asked, his tone almost laughing at her. It only proved to piss her off.

"Harry Potter, I do not make a point of joking about things like this. Now, do you believe me that he is innocent or don't you?" Hermione said, stamping her foot for good measure.

"Yeah, I believe you, Hermione. But it doesn't matter what I think at all," Harry pointed out.

"I realize that. But we have to do something. They'll lock him in Azkaban for life if he's found guilty," Hermione cried.

"Just wait a minute. Can you prove what you say?" Harry asked.

"Of course I can. They can have my memories, and they can use Veritaserum. I don't care. I just want to fix this," Hermione said desperately.

"Okay. Look, he's got a meeting with the Auror department and his lawyer tomorrow morning. We'll see what his defense is before we even think about pressing real charges," Harry promised.

"And you'll inform me every step of the way?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Harry sighed, though he knew it was a violation of the law. Only those directly involved in the case could know what was going on, but this was Hermione he was talking about.

"And about the other. You'll keep it to yourself until I figure out how to tell them?" Hermione asked.

"Why did you tell me?" Harry questioned.

"D-Draco caught us. It's going to come out anyway. I just- I needed- I have to believe there's someone on my side," Hermione said, looking at her friend desperately.

"Hermione, you are my best friend. You know I'm on your side. But this - the family isn't going to take this well. They like Scorpius, in the sense that he's Al's roommate. But he's also nineteen years old, for Merlin's sake." Harry explained.

"I know," Hermione choked. "I know it's mad. Harry, I fought it. I really did."

"Look, I'll do what I can as far as damage control. Ginny will have a fit, but eventually, they will understand," he said. Hermione looked at him skeptically. "Perhaps not Molly," he admitted. "It's weird. Even you have to admit, it's fucking crazy, Hermione."

"It is. But I don't care. I just need you and my kids to believe in me. If that's all I ever have, it will be enough," Hermione swore.

"I've got to get dressed if I'm going to get to work on time," Harry said, looking up at the clock.

"Of course," Hermione said. "I've got to check on Scorpius anyway. I'm worried about him."

"What happened, exactly?" Harry asked.

"Let's just say that Draco broke into my home and walked into my bedroom at a _very_ bad time. He practically threw Scorpius in the Floo on his way out. He's planning something. I just don't know what," Hermione explained.

"Then I want you to stay home. He's dangerous, Hermione. He might not be a Death Eater any more, but he did just find his son in bed with a woman he _hates_. This is not a man who reigns in his rage well." Harry looked at her concerned and she just nodded. She could give Draco one day with his son. Friday, she was going to see Scorpius no matter what.

* * *

"Get the fuck out of my room," Scorpius growled from his fetal position on the bed.

"You are behaving like a child," Draco sneered. "I'm doing all of this for your own good. If you'd stop whinging like a lovesick fool for five minutes, you'd see that."

"I am a lovesick fool, Father. I'm a disappointment to the Malfoy line. I'm in love with a Mudblood and there is nothing you can do to change that. Force me out of her life, fine. But you can't force me to stop loving her. You can force my actions but not my emotions," Scorpius said, his voice barely above a whisper, but he knew his father could hear every word.

"Get up. We are meeting with Mr. Barnes in ten minutes," Draco said, disregarding his rant.

"What do you need me for? All I have to do is nod and smile like a good little boy, right?" Scorpius spat.

"You'll need to know the story. You'll need to understand what we plan to say beforehand. It's common sense. Now get up. You know I can make you," Draco said.

Scorpius growled in frustration, but got off the bed. The last thing he wanted was for his father to use that damned curse on him again.

* * *

Not a word for a full day, and Hermione was getting worried. She knew he had a meeting early that morning with the Auror Department. She just hoped he'd call her or owl her afterward. Hopefully with good news. If he could convince them that there were no grounds, they'd drop the case altogether.

Deciding a shower would make her think more clearly, she stepped under the hot spray and laid out the facts of the case over and over until she felt confident that Scorpius would be easily released, probably with some strings from his father, but unharmed.

As she dressed for the day, she heard and urgent ring at her Floo. Generally, anyone she regularly spoke to had access to her home. Except Ron. What if something had happened to Rose or Hugo! She rushed to the living room, hair still wet, to see who it was that needed to speak with her so urgently.

"Hermione Granger," a deep male voice called. It certainly wasn't Ron.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I'm from the Auror Department. I must insist you let us in. We have the proper documents," he said.

Hermione's eyes doubled, but she quickly let down her wards. "You may Floo in," she said, her voice a little shaky. Even though she knew she'd done nothing wrong, she couldn't help but get that panicky feeling in her stomach when the original man and two other Aurors stepped through her Floo. The three of them nearly filled her entire living room.

"What is this about?" she asked, feeling all too vulnerable in her bare feet and only half finished dressing.

"Hermione Granger," he said again, his tone formal, "You are under the custody of the Ministry for suspicion of casting an Unforgivable; rape, child endangerment, and Dark Magic."

Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Wh-what?" She would have shouted, but her voice didn't seem to want to work. She was struck dumb, thinking this had to have been a joke, but as the two other Aurors proceeded to bind her, she just stood there, shock and horror on her face.

"You will come with us for detention and questioning," the first Auror announced, showing himself through the Floo. Hermione could do nothing but let the other two Aurors manhandle her into the Floo as well. What the fuck was going on?

* * *

Hermione had been sitting in an uncomfortable steel chair for over two hours before the questioning Auror came in. "Miss Granger," he said brusquely, sitting across from her.

"What is this about? I don't understand. I haven't done anything. This is absurd!" Hermione nearly shouted. She'd been working up a head of steam since she'd finally gotten the use of her brain back.

"Allegations have been set against you in the matter of Scorpius Malfoy's involvement with Dark magic," The Auror answered calmly.

"But Scorpius is innocent. This entire thing. It's gotten completely out of hand. If you'd just let me explain..." Hermione said, but he cut her off.

"Scorpius Malfoy's been released. He told us what really happened, and that is why you are here."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Hermione cried.

"We had a very long conversation with Mr. Malfoy, his father, and his solicitor. According to them, you've been seducing Scorpius Malfoy since he was sixteen years old. When he became disillusioned with you, you fed him love potions," The Auror said, clearly disgusted with the idea that anyone would do such a thing. Hermione was disgusted too, with the implication.

"That is absurd. I didn't even know Scorpius until he was nineteen!" she shouted.

"He's given us quite a bit of evidence," the Auror admitted with a shrug.

"Scorpius said this?" Hermione asked, her heart hammering in her chest. This wasn't right. Something was wrong.

"Yes. And his father corroborated it. Furthermore, they have informed us that you placed Scorpius under the Imperious Curse to get him to paint the pictures he'd been arrested for in the first place," the Auror continued.

"This is absurd. I'm Hermione Granger!" she shouted, feeling silly using who she was to make her point. But it was true. How could anyone believe she could do any of these things? "I'm a Muggle-born. Harry Potter is my best friend! I fought Voldemort. How can you possibly believe any of this?"

"It would be the perfect alibi, wouldn't it? How could Hermione Granger follow the Dark Lord even after death? Except, we have Veritaserum testimony and memories as evidence. You've been made, Ms. Granger. Best you just admit it."

"If you are going to accuse me of these things, you should have the decency to tell me who you are!" Hermione shouted, growing intensely frustrated. Something was so wrong here. Scorpius would never say these things. Besides, how could anyone believe it in the first place? It was totally insane.

"My name is Auror Densler," he said. "I've just come to inform you of the charges. You'll be taken to Ministry detention now." Hermione yelped something incoherent at him, but he was gone in seconds, the two Aurors from her apartment back to lead her off to the Ministry detention cells. What the actual fuck?

* * *

Scorpius vomited into the toilet, the affects of his betrayal of Hermione too much for him to keep inside. He wanted to die. He'd never felt so horrible in his entire life. When his father had told him the plan he'd lashed out. He'd kicked and screamed and swore he'd never agree to it. But as he sat in front of Harry Potter, he found the words leaving his mouth against his will.

The look of sad disappointment on Al's father's face was nothing compared to the verbal assault he was giving himself at the time. To even suggest that Hermione could hurt a fly was so absurd, but his father insured all their bases were covered. Undetectable Veritaserum antidote and false memories paved the way for Hermione's arrest. Even if Potter didn't believe it, enough people did.

When they'd left the Ministry, Scorpius had punched his father square in the jaw and informed him that he'd never forgive him. The older man looked honestly shocked, but in the end he just righted himself and told Scorpius that he'd be joining the family for dinner whether he liked it or not. Scorpius wanted to kill him. Had he the ability, he probably would have.

All he wanted was to see Hermione. He wanted to explain things. He wanted her to know that he hadn't wanted to betray her. That he had no control and that he'd do everything in his power to fix this. How, he hadn't a clue. But he knew he had to do something. The thought of what she must be thinking...it made him retch again.


	15. The Fallout

**A/N: One thing first; Sorry I've taken so long to update. Christmas time is always very hectic for me. Not to mention, this was a very hard chapter to write because there is a lot of necessary info in it that might not have been exciting to write. :) Thanks for your patience. **

**Secondly, I just want to address some criticism of the last chapter. I usually respond privately, however a few people reviewed anonymously, so I'm left with no choice but to put my response here. I know a few people are upset that Draco is "bad". I even had someone tell me he wasn't this bad in the books. I disagree there. I'm a Dramione girl at heart, but let's be real. To make Draco a realistic love interest for Hermione, he's got to go through a pretty serious character change/development. The guy was a selfish prick for 90% of the books. Furthermore, my story is not over. Who is to say that he doesn't have a change of heart? Or maybe I wish him to be all evil for literary reasons. I have a reason for everything I write. Either way, all I'm asking is that you read the entire story before deciding a plot point doesn't make sense or that a character is 'all wrong'. A plot doesn't have a hole until you've finished the story and it's still not filled. Thank you. :)**

**The Fallout**

* * *

**_Britain's Golden Girl: Sexual Deviant_**

_This morning, Hermione Granger was arrested by the Auror Department of the Ministry of Magic for various charges including using an Unforgivable Curse and soliciting a minor for sex. These charges come in the wake of a scandal involving the heir to the Malfoy fortune and charges of breaking the Statute of Secrecy and spreading Dark propaganda. All charges against the latter have since been dropped. _

_After preliminary questioning, Scorpius Malfoy admitted that he did paint the offending pictures, but that it was at the behest of his older lover, Hermione Granger. When he refused to do her will, she often used the Imperious Curse on him. _

_More shocking still, was the young man's account of how Ms. Granger preyed upon him when he was sixteen years old. They've been in a dysfunctional relationship ever since. Granger, now forty, was still married to war hero, Ron Weasley at the time the alleged affair started. _

_No comment from the Weasley family, but Draco Malfoy had this to say, 'She abused my son in the worst way possible. He's been taken advantage of and used as her puppet for years. We are doing our best to help him. For now, we seek privacy and understanding during this difficult time.' _

_The Daily Prophet will keep you up to date on every detail of what will surely be the trial of the century. Should she be found guilty of all counts, Ms. Granger can expect a lifetime of imprisonment in Azkaban. _

* * *

"Draco, what the hell is going on?" Astoria cried, as she threw down the evening edition of _The Daily Prophet_.

"I took care of things," he said simply. He'd purposefully neglected to tell his wife any details of his plan because he knew it would make her uneasy. All she cared about was their son. Eventually, she'd understand why he'd acted the way he did, but he knew she would have opposed his plan.

"What does that mean?" she asked, stamping her foot indignantly.

"It means, I fixed the problem. Granger will be taking the heat for the paintings, and Scorpius is going to be living here and starting at Malfoy Industries," Draco explained.

"But I don't understand any of this. How did Granger get involved? She didn't...she didn't really prey on our son, did she? I know she's filth, but she's also Harry Bleeding Potter's best friend!" Astoria shouted, beginning to panic.

"No, of course not," Draco sighed. "Look, they were in a relationship, and it was consensual. Our son was soiling the family name. I don't wish to get into the details of it with you, but I've taken care of it, and I'll see that his name stays clean. That bitch will take the heat and Scorpius has agreed to it."

"And how did you talk him into that?" Astoria asked suspiciously.

"Does it matter?" Draco replied, turning from her to look out the window. He had an unsettling memory of dozens of conversations with his father that went this same direction.

"Well, if it means he'll hate us for all eternity, yes. It does," Astoria answered, matter-of-factly. "I could care less what happens to the Mudblood, but what about our son?"

"He will come around. I used an old family spell that compelled him to do my will," Draco explained as if it were perfectly rational. Even though he knew he was doing the right thing, he still felt uneasy in the pit of his stomach when he thought about it.

Astoria just stared at him for a long time. "Compelled him?"

"You heard me, Storie," Draco sighed.

"And you actually think that will work," she declared.

"It already has," Draco pointed out.

"No it hasn't! He's been a sullen and depressed mess since you brought him home. He'll hate you forever!" Astoria shouted.

"No, he won't. He'll understand. Just like I did. He'll be angry for a very long time, but he _will_ get over it," Draco insisted.

"You better be right. Because if you are wrong..." Astoria let her unsaid warning hang in the air and Draco said another silent prayer that his son would understand that he was working in his best interest.

* * *

Hermione's head was aching as Harry entered her detention cell. It had been over twelve hours since she'd been taken from her home and questioned. "Hermione," he breathed, his tone tired and she already knew he'd been fighting for her all day.

"How bad is it?" she asked, knowing her friend would give it to her straight.

"Well..." Harry started, plopping in a metal chair across from her. "It's bad. But we know there is no truth to Scorpius' claims, so we have to believe that we can get through this."

"Tell me everything about the interview with Scorpius and Draco," Hermione said. She couldn't and wouldn't believe Scorpius had accused her of such things.

"You know I can't," Harry sighed.

"Harry, I've been arrested and charged with high crimes. You can't pull that Ministry bullshit on me!" Hermione shouted.

"I really can't. I can't discuss confidential business with anyone. I can only even skim the surface with Ginny. There are spells to insure it," Harry explained.

Hermione nodded. She knew that already. She knew how the legal system worked as well as any solicitor or Auror in the country. But the strain of the situation was getting to her. She'd never been so scared and unsure in her life. Even when she was fighting Voldemort, she knew things would work out. Now, she wasn't so sure. Besides, she wasn't eighteen anymore.

"What can you tell me? I don't want to go into this blindly," Hermione said, her voice strained from tired frustration.

"I can tell you something is wrong about all of this," Harry said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I know Scorpius. I know him enough to know that he'd never hurt you like this. This reeks of Lucius," he said, spitting out the dead man's name.

"How did Scorpius seem?" Hermione asked, her heart racing in her chest at just the mention of him. She wanted to know he was okay. She also wanted to know why he'd told such lies about her. She knew he loved her. She knew he'd never hurt her intentionally, and yet...

"To tell you the truth, he seemed weird. I thought for sure his father put him under an Imperious Curse himself. But he passed every single test we have to detect truth as well as the Imperious. He was sullen and terse. Malfoy did the majority of the talking, along with their solicitor. Scorpius spoke when directly asked a question. No more," Harry explained.

"I just wish I could talk to him. My owls have all been returned," she frowned.

"It's probably best you don't anyway. Malfoy will likely be mounting more and more evidence against you on his own. It's clear he is seeking to clear Scorpius' name as well as dragging yours through the mud. It's best to stay away from him, Hermione," Harry said.

"Not as if it matters. I highly doubt I'm getting out of here before trial. This will be the biggest case since the Death Eater trials, and you know it," Hermione sighed, feeling tears start to sting her eyes. Everything was so fucked up. She felt hopeless and irritable, and all she wanted was to run away and hide.

"Actually, I have some good news. Only because you are who you are, I've gotten my solicitor to talk the court into releasing you on bail. You'll have your wand confiscated, though," Harry explained apologetically.

"Wait...what?" Hermione asked, confused. That was highly unusual, especially for Muggle-borns, whom the court always felt were more at risk for fleeing to the Muggle world to avoid charges.

"I'm getting you out of here," Harry said. "I've taken responsibility for you, and they will release you until trial."

"But...but what about my family? Harry, tell me the truth. Do I have anything to go back to?" Hermione asked, her voice cracking as tears slipped from her eyes.

Harry sighed and sat in the chair near the bench she was occupying. "Everyone is shocked. It's understandable. But I know they can't possibly believe these charges."

"Have you talked to them?" Hermione asked.

"Only Ginny and Ron. They are...confused and hurt," Harry explained.

"Oh God, the kids," Hermione cried. "What can I even say to them?"

"Hermione, let's just get out of here before they change their minds. We can work this out, but first you need to get something to eat and try to relax," Harry said.

Hermione sighed but followed him. There was no chance of relaxing until she spoke to her children and figured out what had happened with Scorpius, but Harry was right. Wallowing in self-pity was not going to fix anything.

* * *

_'Scorp,_

_ This is not like you. How could you do this to my Aunt? She's in real trouble! They are going to throw her in Azkaban! Seriously, I want to know what's going on right now. I kept your secret. I covered for you. You'd better have a very good explanation for all of this, or we are done. _

_Al'_

Scorpius sighed and nodded to himself. He'd been expecting something similar for days. While he couldn't receive Owls from Hermione, the rest of his friends could easily contact him. Considering the only person in the Wizarding World he had a very close relationship to was Al, he wasn't surprised that his roommate was the first person he'd heard from.

He had no idea what to say to his friend. He wasn't sure how far this compulsion trick his father used would go. Could he tell Albus everything? Could it really be that easy? As he tried to write out the words, explaining what he'd been forced to do what he'd done to the woman he loved, he just couldn't make them come out.

"Buggering fuck!" he shouted, throwing down his quill. It was hopeless. He had to tell Albus something. He didn't want to lose the friendship, and he wanted an ally for what was coming. He'd figure out a way to break the curse his father had placed on him, and when he did, he wanted Albus to be on his side for the explanation.

_'Al,_

_I swear to you, I had no intention of things ending up this way. I can't tell you why this happened, or how it happened. Just know that I love your Aunt. She's the most important thing in the world to me, and I will fix this. You know me, Al. I'd never hurt her if I had a choice. Just be patient. I'm doing everything I can._

_Your friend,_

_Scorp' _

He sighed in frustration at how annoyingly unacceptable his response was, but it was the best he could do given his constraints. He'd have to work on pushing his boundaries, but for now, he had to get Al to consider that he hadn't been wrong about him all these years.

When he'd sent his Owl to deliver his message, he turned back to his desk and tried his hand at writing to Hermione again. With great effort, he worked out and 'H' at the top of the parchment, but the headache and exhaustion that followed were enough to halt him from further progress.

"Damnit!" he shouted. He'd never felt so hopeless in his entire life. What he wanted, more than anything, was to know she was okay, and to make her understand that he'd do everything in his power to fix what he'd involuntarily helped his father wreck.

* * *

Rose's temple was pulsing the way it did when she was thoroughly annoyed. No. Annoyed was not the right word. She was mad. Mad as hell and confused in the extreme.

"Rose," Teddy said gently as he pulled the _Daily Prophet_ from her hands. She'd been staring at it for nearly twenty minutes straight without blinking. He was starting to get worried.

"Darling, sit down," he instructed, pulling the kitchen chair out from the table and pushing her down into it. "Everything will be okay," he tried, feeling foolish as the useless words escaped his mouth.

"Okay?" Rose shrieked, her eyes darting to her lover. "My mother has been arrested for child molestation! She's been charged with using an Unforgivable! How can that possibly be okay?"

"Rose," Teddy sighed, sitting next to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "there is no way in Hell that Aunt Hermione has been seducing Scorpius Malfoy since you were all in fifth year. The prat probably made it all up to cover his arse."

Rose started to question, but Teddy quickly cut her off, "Let's just see what the rest of the family is saying. Harry is probably working hard to fix this as we speak."

"I hope you are right," Rose said morosely. "I just don't understand how anyone could believe this rubbish."

* * *

"Everyone shut up!" Harry finally shouted, as he walked in on his Goddaughter, in fits of tears, being told what a tart her mother was by her own father and his girlfriend. Ginny was looking at him nervously, wringing her hands in a habit he'd noticed she had when she was in internal conflict.

"Is it true?" Rose asked. "Is everything in the paper true?"

"Of course not," Harry choked, looking at Ron with a glare. He knew the news would be hard for everyone, so he'd tried to soften the blow by telling Ron and the elder Weasley's what had happened before the paper hit the stands. Unfortunately, the result was not understanding, but a fantastic fit of hysterics by Ron, Lavender, and Mrs. Weasley. Ginny was mostly quiet, but he could tell that she was still processing everything.

"Ron, what did you tell her?" he demanded.

"Just what you told me yourself," Ron spat. "That her mother's been sleeping with a child half her age!"

Rose sniffled again as Teddy tried to comfort her, and Harry sighed in frustration. "Ron, will you grow up for five minutes? You are upsetting her. Just go. I'll take care of this, as usual."

"This is my family, mate. This is my business," Ron countered.

"Hermione is not your business anymore, and unless you want to upset Rose further, I suggest you just let it go for now," Harry said, his tone final. He looked at Ginny who nodded at him in understanding, and led her brother and his girlfriend from the house.

"Harry, what the Hell is going on?" Teddy asked desperately.

The older man sighed and sat next to Rose on the couch, taking her hand in his. "Rose, I know this is all very confusing, and hard to process, but I can assure you the charges against your mother are not true. I've known your mother my whole life and she's not capable of what she's been accused of."

"But what about Scorpius? Dad says that's true. He said you told him!" Rose cried.

"That is not something I can explain because I myself don't know the details. I think you should talk to your mother. This is something the two of you need to discuss. But I can assure you, she's done nothing illegal," Harry said.

"How can I even talk to her? She's in jail!" Rose wailed.

"She's at home," Harry said. "I got her released temporarily. And Rose, I think she could really use someone to talk to."

Rose sniffled again and nodded her head. She'd never understand what was going on unless she heard it from the source. What her father told her had horrified her, and she had a hard time believing it could possibly be true. It was her mother after all. That meant something. It meant she at least needed to hear what the woman had to say.

"Want me to come?" Teddy asked sympathetically.

"No," Rose shook her head. "I want to go alone."

Standing up, Ginny and Harry both hugged their Goddaughter before leading her to the Floo and helping her through it.

"Can someone tell _me_ what is going on?" Teddy finally asked his surrogate parents when Rose was gone.

Harry sighed and led Ginny back to the couch. "Aunt Hermione is in trouble. I'm not sure what happened, or how, but the Malfoys have dragged her into this ridiculous debacle with Scorpius. More than that is not my place to say, but Rose and Hugo are going to need all the support they can get right now."

"Oh, Hugo!" Ginny cried, having thought about the poor boy alone at Hogwarts for the first time. "What must he be going through? I can't believe she..." Harry squeezed his wife's hand and she snapped her lips shut, understanding that it wasn't the time to say what she wanted to say. Not in front of Teddy.

"Look, I should probably get home. When Rose is finished talking to her mother, she will probably need someone to talk to. Just don't keep me in the dark," Teddy implored.

"Of course," Harry said. If the situation hadn't been so dire, he'd have been able to dwell on the pride he felt at how grown up Teddy had become. He was being a kind, courteous and caring boyfriend to Rose, and he was remaining calm, which was the most important thing.

When Teddy was gone, Harry turned back to Ginny. "We probably should owl McGonagall. Hugo will want to talk to his mother."

"I can't believe this is happening? How could she be so reckless! Didn't she think of the kids at all?" Ginny ranted.

"Gin, you know she loves her children more than anything. But they are grown. She tried her best to keep them out of all of this. I don't pretend to understand why she did what she did, but it wasn't such a crime," Harry reasoned.

"He's Rose's age, Harry!" Ginny countered. "I could _never_ put one of my kids through that."

"Love, I know how you feel. But if you think Hermione isn't just as heartbroken about how this is affecting her children, you don't know her as well as I thought you did," Harry countered.

"I know she loves them. I know she's a good mother. This is why none of this makes sense. Who throws all of that away on a boy who clearly doesn't care about her at all?" Ginny questioned.

"I have no way of knowing why or how she feels what she feels. All I know is that she loves him. Put yourself in her position for a moment, Gin. She's our best friend. She may have made a mistake, but what's happening to her is not right," Harry explained.

"I know that. But still...it's very hard not to judge her," Ginny admitted. "I mean...he's practically a child!"

* * *

Luna had insisted that _The Quibbler_ deliver a fair and balanced side to Hermione's story. Hermione was grateful for that, but at the moment, she really just wanted to talk to her children and make sure they were not receiving news from the absolute worst source imaginable; _The Daily Prophet _or Ron and Molly Weasley.

With Hugo, there was little she could do. He was at school, and given the nature of her charges, she was certain she'd never be given leave to go to Hogwarts and talk to him directly. All of those innocent children would be victim to her sexual perversions, no doubt. She'd have to think of something to make him understand what was going on. Hell, she didn't even really understand, but at the moment, her children were the most important thing.

Still, she had to let him know she was okay. So, she sent off a quick Owl to her son, telling him that everything was alright and that she'd speak to him as soon as she was able. With that done, she turned back around to her flat and tried to figure out what to do next.

She was surprised when Rose tumbled out of her Floo and into her living room not five minutes after a calming Luna had vacated the flat. Harry had secured her release only a few hours prior, but he must have informed Rose at once because her tall, messy looking daughter was standing before her, watery-eyed and looking lost.

"Rose," her voice cracked.

"Just tell me the truth. Did you do this?" Rose asked, working very hard to keep her composure.

"Of course not," Hermione breathed. "Please, let me explain everything." Rose shuffled over to the couch and Hermione sat next to her upon it.

"First, I want to tell you that I never meant to lie to you or your brother. When you have children one day, you'll understand how absolutely impossible it is to know what to reveal and what not to reveal...especially when it's something that could hurt them," Hermione started.

"The truth is always preferable," Rose pointed out.

"Maybe so," Hermione conceded. "I've never claimed to be a perfect mother. But I've never done anything but love you and your brother. That's why, when I got involved with Scorpius Malfoy, I didn't tell you."

"So, you were involved with him?" Rose asked, though her voice sounded more confused than critical.

"Yes," Hermione answered. "Around Halloween, I ran into Scorpius and we began a relationship. It wasn't planned. I was weak and I made what was probably the craziest decision of my life and I brought him home, thinking it would be no more than a one-off." Rose's brow furrowed at this, but she could tell her daughter appreciated her candor.

"The problem was, Scorpius didn't see it that way. He wanted more, and he convinced me to give him a chance. I'm glad he did. Because I fell in love with him. I can't explain to you why, or how. I didn't want it. I certainly fought it. But there is so much about him, Rose. I wish I could make you understand," Hermione tried to explain, but she realized that this was probably something she'd never be able to explain. She and Scorpius made no sense. There was no reason why she should put her neck out for him or risk everything. She wasn't known to be a risk taker in her life, and certainly not when her family was involved. And yet, here she was, having one of the toughest conversations of her life, for his sake.

"I can understand loving someone you shouldn't," Rose said quietly. "I can even understand why you wouldn't tell us, though, I assure you, I would have listened to you. What I can't understand is how that became _this_," she gesticulated widely around her, as if to say 'this whole mess you are in now'.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted, sniffling slightly. "One minute everything was fine, and then the next Scorpius was being carted off to the Ministry for questioning about his paintings."

"Wait, back up," Rose said, shaking her head. "That doesn't explain how _you_ got involved or why Malfoy, who's supposed to be in love with you, threw you under the bus."

Hermione sighed. Her daughter was right. She had no way of explaining that. She still didn't know what happened, and her heart ached more every second that ticked by without explanation from her lover. "I don't know what happened. Your Uncle Harry tells me that Scorp said those things, so I have to believe it. But I know him. He loves me. Something is going on, and I will get to the bottom of it," Hermione assured. "But I don't want you to worry about that. I just want you to understand, and in time, I hope you trust me again."

"I have no reason not to trust you. Your personal life is your own," Rose countered. "But these charges are serious. If you are found guilty, you'll be thrown in Azkaban forever." She saw her daughter's lip tremble with emotion and Hermione couldn't help but pull her little girl into her, trying to comfort her even though she had no comfort to give.

"I don't want you to worry about that. You understanding is the greatest gift you could give me," Hermione said.

"It's not my place to judge you, Mum. You've never judged me. I've made mistakes in my life and you've never used them as emotional capital. You've never done anything but support me. It's hard to wrap my brain around, but you are my mother, and I love you," Rose finally said.

"Oh, Rose," Hermione sobbed pulling her daughter close to her. "This means more to me than you could possibly understand."

Rose held her mother tight and the both cried until they were interrupted by a sharp tapping on Hermione's shoulder. Her owl had returned with the letter she'd intended for Hugo. In big red letters across the back he'd written, 'Not Interested'.


	16. Chatter

**A/N: A special thank you to Rusty Weasley for his keen and critical eye! You rock! Also, I told you it wouldn't be as long until the next chapter came out! :) **

**Chatter**

* * *

**_What Have You Done For Us Lately?_**

_Hermione Granger (Order of Merlin), decorated War Heroine and golden girl of Great Britain was arrested this week on various charges, not the least of which is the accusation of using an Unforgivable Curse - the most heinous of Dark Magic crimes in our society. _

_While many are already gathering their pitchforks and preparing to shove her away as quickly as possible, we at _The Quibbler_ must beg the question: Does any of this make sense? _

_While it is unlikely that the Ministry of Magic has a personal vendetta against Ms. Granger (although, it wouldn't be the first time), something is clearly wrong. Let us ask ourselves, do these crimes make sense? _

_For one, Hermione Granger has been accused to child endangerment, molestation, and seducing a minor. These are serious accusations that simply do not fit the character of the woman we've come to know and trust. Always loyal and honest, Hermione Granger has an ironclad constitution that would not allow her to so much as commit adultery, let alone with a minor child. _

_Keep in mind, this is the same woman who campaigned for Elvish Rights, helped pass Wizengamot funding for widespread Wolfsbane access, and is currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign for a new hospital that would deal exclusively with the underrepresented members of our society. Do we really believe she is capable of child molestation? _

_It is not the Quibbler's intent to make light of these charges. They are serious. We should all examine them and decide whether or not they are reasonable. _

_Is it reasonable to suggest that the woman who helped Harry Potter take down Voldemort is now using Unforgivable Curses to get her young lover to spread Dark propaganda through his art? Is that a conclusion that makes sense in even the strangest fiction? _

_One must ask themselves these questions because, as I write this, Hermione Granger's name is being hissed in hushed tones by the masses of Wizarding Britain. Her exemplary career and heroic work is being tarnished in favor of gossip and illogical allusions on her character. Was it so long ago that we hoisted her on our shoulders and thanked her from saving us when the Ministry sat on its hands? Are we so far removed from the War that we've forgotten how Hermione and her friends did what none of us could and rid the word of the worst Dark Wizard in ages? _

_At the Quibbler, we do not think it was so long ago. We do not feel it is reasonable to suggest that a woman of Hermione Granger's character is capable of the crimes she's been charged with. Until we know all the facts, we reserve judgment of her, as should everyone. _

* * *

"Hey Weasley, think your Mum is taking on any new partners? I'd love to get inside..."

"Jennings, shut up!"

Hugo's eyes snapped up to whoever had interrupted the annoying fifth year Hufflepuff that was taking the mickey out of his mother this time. This was an absolute nightmare. He smiled weakly at his cousin, Lily.

"Thanks," he said, but there was no gratitude or any other emotion in his tone.

"Come on, Hugo. Don't let them get to you," Lily said, plopping down next to Hugo on the Gryffindor bench. The Great Hall was not very full, as Hugo had taken to eating meals early to avoid altercations like the one with the pimply Hufflepuff.

"Don't let it get to me? Lily, thanks and all, but bugger off. You have no idea what this is like for me," Hugo sighed. Lily was undeterred though. She glared at her cousin and sighed in frustration.

"No, I will not 'bugger off!' We are family, and that means something. I know this is hard, and I know that you are hurting and confused," Hugo scoffed at her remark, but Lily ignored him and continued. "You are just giving them more ammunition by letting them get to you. I mean, you nearly slugged Finnegan last night in the common room. Do you think getting expelled will help?"

"It might!" Hugo snapped back. "It certainly couldn't get any worse!"

"Yes it could," Lily reasoned. "You still have both of your parents. They still love you. Maybe if you just talked to Aunt Hermione..."

"No way," Hugo shook his head. "I have nothing to say to her."

"Come on, Hugo. You don't really believe that rot they wrote in the _Prophet_," Lily sighed.

"No. But I know enough. More than I ever wanted to know. And she's done this to herself. It's her own fault she got wrapped up with that bastard. She made her bed. She can lie in it," Hugo said with finality.

"You are an incredible moron, Hugo Weasley," Lily snapped. "You just remember one thing while you are sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. Your mother has always been by your side. She'd never give up on you like you've given up on her."

* * *

"So, hi," Scorpius said, looking down at the tabletop in front of him.

"You look like shit, Scorp," Albus said with a long-suffering sigh.

"Yes, well..." Scorpius said, taking a swig from the bourbon he'd ordered.

"That's all you are going to say?" Albus asked.

"I can't say what I want to say," Scorpius spat.

"Are you drunk?" Albus asked, his brow cocking up as he took in the disheveled look of his friend.

"Not nearly enough...yet," Scorpius answered.

"Look, I'm very confused. Why don't you just explain to me what happened. One minute you and my aunt are disgustingly in love and the next minute you are throwing her in front of the Avada to save your own skin. Just start from the top," Albus said flippantly.

"It wasn't me," Scorpius growled, his eyes blazing. "I didn't do that to her. I have no control...I...I can't..." He stuttered as the compulsion charm inside him thwarted the words before they could escape his mouth. "Buggering fuck! I hate that man!"

"Whoa!" Albus cried, indicating two more drinks for the table from the bartender. "Just take a fucking breath, man. Now, what the hell is going on."

"If I could tell you, I would!" Scorpius cried downing the rest of his drink and taking a long pull off the one that had just been set in front of him.

"Slow down. You are going to be too drunk to make any sense soon. Look, I don't get it. Do you love my Aunt or not?" Albus asked, growing more frustrated by the second.

"Of course I love her. And being away from her is fucking torture," Scorpius admitted truthfully. Though it had only been a few days, it felt like a fucking eternity. The fact that he had no idea how she was holding up, or what she was thinking made everything that much worse.

"Then I really don't understand what is going on," Al said, frustrated.

Scorpius had no idea how to explain anything given the strictures of his confinement. "I can't tell you," he bit out slowly and deliberately.

"You mean, like a tongue-tying hex?" Albus asked, with a snort.

"Kind of!" Scorpius cried, his eyebrows jumping up to his hairline. "I can't tell you what happened, or how, but I swear none of this was my idea," he admitted miserably.

"Wait, back up," Albus said, downing his drink and shaking his head for clarity. "You have been made to do this to my Aunt and you've been hexed to keep quiet."

"Kind of," Scorpius said. "Let me see what I can tell you. It's hard. I'm still trying to work through what I can and can't do and say as it is." For the first time since he'd been compelled by his father, Scorpius felt a sort of relief. Albus was a smart man. If he could figure it out...But who could possibly figure out _this_? Only a Malfoy could come up with something so deviously oppressive to manipulate his children this way.

"Who did it? Who cursed you?" Albus asked.

"I can't tell you that. I've tried and tried. And I can't talk to Hermione either," Scorpius said. "I've tried to write her, but my...condition..." his words were halted there, and he realized he couldn't say much more than that on the Hermione front.

"Okay, let's get you some coffee. If we are going to figure this out, you need to stop drinking. How long do you have?" Albus said, pushing his own drink away and calling over the bartender again.

"I have to be back at the Manor for dinner," Scorpius admitted.

"Okay, start from the top and tell me what you can," Albus said.

"Wait," Scorpius said, looking up at his friend, emotions rising up in his chest. "Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for believing me."

"You are my best friend. I know you well enough to know that none of this made sense from the start. I _had_ to believe something nefarious was afoot. I never wanted to believe you could do this to her. But Scorp, she's in real trouble. I don't need to tell you; Hugo's not speaking to her. My uncle Ron has made it his mission to try and keep the Weasley's away from her. Even my mother is having a hard time being diplomatic, though she's trying. The only person she has is Dad. And Rose. Rose has taken up the cause on her mother's behalf," Albus explained.

Scorpius felt a sharp pain in his chest as he considered how Hermione must be feeling. The thought of anyone treating her poorly made him sick to his stomach, but it wasn't like he could do anything to help. Even if he did confront Ron Weasley, what could he say? What would make it better? What would even come out of his mouth? He just didn't know. Until he knew what he _could _say, it was best he didn't say anything at all and make things worse.

"Can you...would you t-t-te-," Scorpius started, but was frustrated when his speech shut down again.

"I'll tell her what I know," Albus assured, and Scorpius let out a long sigh of relief. "But for now, can we try to work through what happened so I actually have something to tell her?"

Scorpius nodded his approval, taking a long sip of coffee as he tried to think where to begin.

* * *

"Dad, seriously," Rose shouted finally. "Do you even think before you speak? She's my mother!"

"Rosie, I'm just being realistic. Obviously she was up to no good with that Malfoy spawn to begin with," Ron explained.

"Do you hear yourself? She's a grown woman, and he's a man. Whether or not you approve of them really doesn't matter. Mum didn't tell you whether or not you could be with Lavender. In fact, she gave her bloody blessing!" Rose shouted in frustration.

"Language, young lady!" Molly screeched, scandalized.

"No, I will not watch my language. I sat here for the last forty minutes keeping my mouth shut as the two of you call my mother a whore simply because you do not agree with her choices. It's enough. And please, stop encouraging Hugo. He's confused enough as it is without your constant comments being Owled to him at Hogwarts!" Rose had reached her limit. For the last few days, there was an onslaught - both in and outside her family - of people having various opinions about her mother. A few were justified, but most not. She was sick of it. It was no one's business anyway. The charges were ludicrous and anyone who believed them was a moronic imbecile.

"Rose, she's got you all confused," Ron continued. "I just don't want you to be hurt."

"Then stop attacking my mother. This is not helping anything. She's being falsely accused of serious crimes, and all the three of you can do is sit around and attack her for having deciding to sleep with a man half her age. Who cares? Is this the 21st century or Salem, Massachusetts, circa 1692?" She saw that struck a nerve with her father, his girlfriend, and her grandmother.

Molly attacked the dirty dishes with fervor and mumbled softly to herself. Ron just shook his head, thinking that his daughter was too young to understand that what Hermione had done was disgusting.

With a full head of steam, Rose decided it was time to take her anger out on the right person for once. Getting up from her grandmother's old couch, she marched out the door and passed the ward where she could Apparate. That slimy snake, Scorpius Malfoy, wasn't going to hide in his precious Manor any longer.

* * *

Scorpius was just glad his father hadn't dragged him to another board meeting when he dropped his mother's purchases in the front entry. He'd been dragged around Diagon Alley for nearly three hours, and at least half of the people on the streets stared him down like he was Voldemort himself; but the board meetings were brutal. He could give a flying fuck about profit projections and the like.

It had been nice spending a little time with his mother. She made no mention of work, or his father. She didn't push him, and she seemed to understand that the last thing he needed was to be patronized. She gave him his space while filling the time with light conversation in an attempt to cheer him up. It hadn't worked, but he appreciated the effort. After all, she had nothing to do with his father's actions. There was no use taking it out on her.

"I'm going to go up and have a nap," she said, patting him on the cheek softly. "I'm feeling tired."

"Are you okay, mother?" he asked dutifully.

"Just fine," she smiled. "I am very glad to have you home."

Scorpius just nodded awkwardly and watched her ascend the stairs to her rooms in the West Wing of the house. Sighing, he summoned an elf and instructed him to take the bags around his feet and put them in their proper place. It was weird living in the Manor again. After more than a year on his own, he wasn't used to the elves, or the vastness of the estate. He wasn't used to having a proper dinner time, or a lunch and breakfast time for that matter. It was stifling.

He was abruptly pulled from his internal thoughts by a loud banging on the front door. He'd never have heard it if he hadn't been standing in the main entrance. He intercepted the elf that was about to answer the door and answered it himself to provide some human contact. He just wondered who could possibly be at the Manor in the middle of the day.

"Rose..." he breathed as he opened the door and saw Hermione's very pissed off daughter standing on the other side.

"Don't you Rose me, Scorpius Malfoy," she seethed. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Scorpius blushed bright red, knowing she had every right to be angry with him. "You might as well come in, but please keep your voice down. There is no telling what will happen if one of the elves informs my father you are here."

She marched right past him and stood in the entryway, arms crossed over her chest, and waited for him to say something. "Let's go to my room," he suggested. She just huffed and followed him, her steps heavy as she made her rage known with every step.

Once he had her in the sitting room that was just off his bedroom, he offered her a seat and plopped down in one of his own. "Now, what is it you came here to tell me?" he asked.

"You know very well why I'm here, you bastard," she shrieked. Scorpius settled in for what he was sure would be an evisceration of his character. It wasn't as if he didn't deserve it.

"You have ruined my mother. I know you probably don't care. I know you got exactly what you wanted out of her. But as a human being, you should know. No matter what the outcome of this trial is, she will never be the same." Rose informed him. He winced at her words because he knew they were completely true.

"I never wanted this," he choked out.

"I don't care what you wanted! She's my mother, Malfoy! Do you understand that? This woman gave me life. She taught me everything I know. She is the reason I'm a Healer. She is the reason I am anything. She's only made one mistake - falling for your stupid game - and now she is ruined. As an ardent feminist, I hate to admit this, but she will never be taken seriously again. All because she chose to sleep with _you_," Rose was on a roll, so he just let her keep talking, each word slicing him just a little deeper.

"Why did you do it? Why? If you didn't care about her, why not just break things off? Why did you use her as your alibi? Why did you go further and accuse her of molesting you? Do you hate her that much? No matter how selfish a person is, _how_ could you do this?" Rose demanded.

"I love her! I don't hate her. I never wanted any of this. I didn't...Fucking hell. I can't explain it to you. You have every right to hate me. Please do. No one can hate me as much as I hate myself right now," Scorpius said miserably.

"I'm not falling for your routine, Malfoy. You might have sucked her in, but I'm not buying it. Do you know that my wonderful, brilliant mother is even bothering herself with caring about _you!_" Rose snapped. "You ruin her entire life and she's worried about you. It's fucking ridiculous!"

Scorpius ignored the surge of relief he felt at hearing Rose's words and just shook his head. "Look, Rose. I'm not going to be able to give you any insights. I'm doing what I can to fix this, but until then, there is nothing I can say. I swear to you that I love her, and that I never used her. That's all I can say."

"Well, it's not good enough," Rose said, standing up. "If you ever decide to grow up and face the truth, I'm sure the Aurors at the Ministry would be glad to hear it." With that, she stalked out of the room.

"Hey, Weasley, wait up!" he called, knowing she'd likely get lost along the way. Then again, she did stalk up to the door all on her own.

"What?" she snapped, twirling around.

"How did you get here? The wards should have blocked you at the gates," Scorpius asked.

"I don't know. I envisioned the house and I got here. How should I know why your bloody wards don't work?" Rose huffed before turning around and continuing her trek out of the house. Scorpius was too lost in his own thoughts to worry about whether she succeeded or not. One of the elves would intercept her, he was sure.

He stalked back to his own room, slamming the door behind him and plopping down on the bed, his brain already hurting from the thoughts that Rose's visit had invoked. How she managed to get past the wards being the least of his concerns.

Emotions were swirling around him so fast he couldn't keep up; embarrassment, rage, confusion, hope, relief, incredible guilt. Rose Weasley's visit had confirmed a number of things for him, not the least of which was that Hermione was still holding hope that he wasn't the man Rose had concluded he was. He needed that hope if he was going to get through this, and if he was going to get her through this as well.

Secondly, he was filled with a renewed purpose. This was not about him. This was about Hermione. She was in serious danger of being a social outcast for the rest of her life, regardless of the outcome of the trial. He knew he would never let that happen. He and Albus would figure out how to fix this if it was the last thing they did.

As he marinated on what to do next, he was completely ignorant to the fact that his mother had heard the largest majority of his conversation with Rose.

She frowned to herself. She was troubled by the whole mess. It was clear her son loved the Mudblood. He was dying inside, and she'd seen it since the night he returned to the Manor. She assumed it had more to do with the fact that Draco had forced him to give up art and into learning the ways of the business. After his declaration to Granger's daughter, she could see that his depression had more to do with a broken heart.

The thought of her son loving a Mudblood was detestable. It didn't matter how much times had changed, she knew one thing clearly. Good blood always came out on top. The thought of a Mudblood in her son's life was unacceptable. For that, she could see why her husband decided to halt it before it went to far or, Merlin forbid, he got that tart pregnant. Mudbloods were known for being unnaturally fertile. She shuddered.

On the other hand, her son was in pain. A mother could not ignore that. He was so morose and he didn't take joy in anything since he'd come home. Then again, it had not even been a week. Perhaps he'd get over it. She bit her lip. She didn't know what to do. For now, she had to let Draco take the reins. If it didn't work, she would have to intervene.


	17. Allies

**A/N: Special shout out to HarryPGinnyW4eva for the best review I've ever received! Now, on with the show...**

**Allies**

* * *

**_Golden Girl in Hiding_**

_Shame tarnishes the name of once-heroine Hermione Granger as she hides in her London flat days after release from Ministry detention. _

_Released Saturday evening, Granger is obviously not above using her high-powered contacts to get what she wants. Harry Potter was seen escorting her, personally, from the Ministry. We can only assume he was the one that got her released. Considering the charges facing her, do we really feel safe with her on the streets?_

_Not only has she been charged with spreading Dark propaganda - a crime which should not be taken lightly, even in these peaceful times - but the charges against the young Malfoy heir are truly horrifying. A young boy, on the cusp of manhood, violated so heinously by a woman who held incredible power over him. The thought that she could do this to someone else is terrifying. _

_Scorpius Malfoy has remained out of the public eye as much as possible - only venturing out to Diagon Alley with his mother once since the charges were filed - and it is not hard to understand why. The shame he must be feeling at the world knowing of the violation Hermione Granger perpetrated upon him must be overwhelming. _

_Draco Malfoy, his father, has remained steadfast in his resolve to see justice done for what has happened to his son. A rare look at the sensitive soul that helped Harry Potter to defeat Voldemort all those years ago has touched us all. Hopefully, he and his family will be on the road to recovery as soon as Miss Granger stands before trial to answer for her actions. _

* * *

Hermione stopped her subscription to _The Daily Prophet_ the day she was released from custody. She wasn't sure exactly what they were saying, but she could tell by the steam coming out of Harry's ears when he read it that she didn't want to know, and it probably wasn't going to do any good to read it anyway. That rag hadn't had any insight in for as long as she'd been alive. Besides, Rita Skeeter probably loved every second of 'legitimate' slandering of Hermione's name. That bitch was a piece of work.

She did read _The Quibbler_ because, if nothing else, it made her feel better to know that someone was on her side. Of course there was Harry, but he was nearly going gray with all the stress he was under with trying to keep his job all while doing his best to protect her. She felt incredibly guilty that he'd been dragged into this, but there was no amount of protest on her part that could stop him. His 'Hero Complex' hadn't dwindled even as Voldemort was vanquished.

Along with _The Quibbler_, Hermione was reading every legal book she could get her hands on, both Muggle and Wizarding. Hell, it couldn't hurt to be prepared for anything. She liked to hope that the justice system was far more fair than it had been when she was a teenager, but she wasn't taking anything for granted.

It was while she was deep in research mode that her Floo activated to notify her of a visitor that had not been given free rein to come and go. As it was, Harry, Luna, Rose, and Scorpius were the only people currently on that list.

Furrowing her brow, she padded over to the Floo and her eyes grew wide as she saw Albus' face poking through. "Can I talk to you, Aunt Hermione?"

"Of course," she said, pressing the button by her Floo that allowed someone entrance. Since she could not use Magic until her trial, Harry had set up some pretty creative wards that could be operated manually. She was actually very impressed at his skill, and had told him so many times, to his utter mortification.

Albus hurried through her Floo and pulled her into his arms in a bone-crushing hug. Such theatrics from the Potter's youngest son were rare. She'd always liked Albus, but she couldn't say she'd had much of a stronger relationship to him than the others. Perhaps it had grown slightly since he'd discovered about her relationship with Scorpius, but not much. "Albus, are you okay?" she asked, worried that something terrible might have happened to elicit such a reaction.

"I'm just glad to see you," he said, blushing the way his father always did when he was caught being too emotional.

Hermione smiled brightly at that. "I'm glad to see you, too." She led him over to the couch and asked if he'd like anything to drink.

"Just some tea, if you have it," Albus said.

"Sure. Just give me a minute. It's a bit slower without magic," she smiled.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't want to put you out. I didn't realize. I haven't talked to my father much since...I didn't know," Albus stumbled over his words and Hermione just smiled and took pity on him.

"It's okay, Albus. The lack of magic is the least of my worries. Besides, I do many things the Muggle way anyway. It's not so hard," _especially since I don't leave my house,_ she added silently. Albus nodded and she retreated to the kitchen to start the tea.

When she got back to the living room, she set the tea tray before him and let him make his own drink. She just sat next to him, waiting for him to speak.

"I've spoken to Scorpius," Albus finally said, leaning back on the cushions and looking at his Aunt.

Hermione couldn't help it. Her breath caught and her heart began to beat faster. Whatever was about to come out of Albus Potter's mouth was going to be very important, she knew. It would define this entire experience for her. Either he was there to tell her that Scorpius was an incredible bastard that had used her and threw her away to save his own skin - a thing that she simply had refused to believe to this point - or he would stroke the fire of hope within her that this was all some giant misunderstanding.

"Okay," she said, when he didn't continue.

"At first I was furious with him. He's my best mate. We've been through years of friendship together. Reading what he'd accused you of...I...I couldn't believe it. But I had nothing to go on but what I heard, so I met with him," Albus said.

"Is he okay?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself. She'd been desperately worried about him since he'd been hauled out of her flat. Her circumstances hadn't changed that.

"He's fine, physically," Albus said. "Psychologically, though...I'm not sure."

"What's going on, Albus. Do you know something?" Hermione asked, her fingers toying with the edge of a pillow on the couch between them.

"I don't know anything for sure," Albus said. "Look, it's like this..." he paused for a minute trying to think of the best way to explain what he wanted to say. "Scorpius had nothing to do with the story they presented to the Aurors about you."

Hermione looked at him puzzled, but kept quiet, waiting for him to explain. "He literally has no control over what he said. I don't have the details. He's been placed under a curse to make him say the things he said, and he can't tell anyone the truth."

Hermione gasped. "Who?" she demanded, her brain going a mile a minute.

"He can't tell me, but I'm pretty sure I've figured it out. His father. It's the only thing that makes sense. He's dropped out of art school. He's moved back to the Manor, and he's been shadowing his father at the company." Albus explained.

"Oh God," Hermione shuddered. "How?" she was trying to make her brain wrap around the whole thing, but she couldn't for the life of her understand how a parent could do something like that to their child. Not even Draco Malfoy.

Shaking her head, she'd save those thoughts for later. "But he passed the tests that indicated the Imperious Curse had been used. How could Draco possible make him?" Hermione countered.

"It wasn't an Imperious," Albus answered. "He can't tell me what the curse was, but it wasn't that. All I can do is guess what has happened and he can indicate if I'm right or wrong. That's it. It's been a bloody nightmare trying. I haven't thought this hard since Sixth Year Potions!"

"Oh God!" Hermione cried again, her breath coming out in pants as she considered what this all meant. Forgetting herself for the moment, and what this could mean for her trial, she thought about poor Scorpius. "He must be so angry at himself," she surmised.

"You don't know the half of it," Albus agreed. "He loves you so much. And he can't talk to anyone about it."

Hermione sniffled as she felt tears prick her eyelids. Poor Scorpius. He was so young, and he'd already dealt with more than a kid his age should have to. Sure, he'd been saved from the war. But her childhood shouldn't be the measure by which one measures a normal childhood. Now, he was locked in the Manor, most likely berated by his father at every turn, all while having his free will ripped from him. And, as hard as it had been to be away from him, she couldn't even imagine how much harder it would have been if she'd known she'd caused him pain and could do nothing to fix it.

"Aunt Hermione, please don't cry. I swear we'll figure this out!" Albus cried.

Hermione tried, but the battle against the tears was a fruitless one. She hadn't let herself truly grieve for what had happened to her, but now with the added injustice of what Scorpius was going through, as well as the relief she felt knowing that she hadn't been wrong about him, the damn burst and she sobbed.

Albus swallowed hard, but did his best to comfort her, pulling her close and running a hand through her hair as she sobbed openly into his chest.

* * *

"Would you care to tell me why Rose Weasley was in my house yesterday?" Draco asked, looking over his desk at Scorpius. He'd wondered when he was going to have this conversation. Neither of his parents said anything of the incident, but he knew both of them must have known of her visit.

"I've just accused her mother of being a child molester and closet Death Eater. I'm sure you can imagine why she wanted to see me," Scorpius said, his tone sarcastic.

"And why did you let her past the wards? If you knew she was only there to attack you, why would you allow it?" Draco asked, his tone showing that he was clearly irritated.

Scorpius would most certainly _not_ be telling him that Rose got through the wards all on her own. That was something he was playing close to the chest until he could figure out how the hell it happened in the first place. "She was righteously angry. Why shouldn't I have allowed her to attack me? It is my house again, after all."

"Don't get smart with me, Scorpius. I don't want that filth in my house. I certainly don't want you talking to your tart's daughter," Draco snapped.

"Don't call her that," Scorpius said between gritted teeth. "She's one-hundred times the person you'll ever be. You don't deserve to breathe the same air as Hermione Granger."

"How romantic," Draco sneered. "I wish you to do as you are told, and with a little less attitude."

"Is that a command?" Scorpius growled.

"No. But you must understand that I could make it one if you push me," Draco warned.

"Do you have any desire to be a decent human being, Father? Or is everything about power?" Scorpius asked.

"There is very little more important to power. Family is. That's a lesson I should have taught you long before now," Draco answered.

"You aren't my family," Scorpius said indignantly. "My family is sitting in her London flat scared and alone. There's nothing you can do to change what she is to me. Not even you can compel me to give her up."

Draco stared down his son for several minutes wishing, in vain, that he _could_ compel emotions. This same argument was getting tiresome. "No more Weasleys in the house," he said.

"Yes, master." Scorpius said, getting up and slamming his father's office door behind him.

* * *

"No wonder Malfoy was constantly over here," Victoire said dramatically, flicking her hair behind her. "I mean, who'd have thought he was getting a piece from Rose's mum." She was grinning maliciously and the occupants of the room could tell she was truly smug about the whole thing.

Fred and Roxanne shifted uncomfortably, chancing a look at Teddy who was on the other side of the room, but very obviously in hearing distance. To tell the truth, they weren't too fond of how Victoire was talking either. Frankly, they were sick of the whole mess. It was bringing everyone down. With Easter coming, the last thing they wanted was an epic fight at the dinner table, unless it had something to do with one of their pranks.

They both looked at each other when they saw Teddy, red faced and angry stalk over to them, and halt in front of Victoire.

"Give it up, Vic," he said, barely controlling the tone of his voice. "Everyone knows what you are playing at, and it's not funny. What's going on in Rose's family has nothing to do with you, and it's certainly not anything you should be using in your petty vendetta against her. We are over. We will _never_ get back together, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner we can move on and work towards becoming friends again. However, if I hear you disparaging Rose or her Mother one more time, you are I are will never speak again. Do you understand me?"

Fred and Roxanne both swallowed in unison. They'd never seen Teddy so much as irritated, let alone flat out mad. He was such an easygoing guy. To be fair, Victoire was being an incredible bitch and had been since the minute Teddy and Rose had showed up for lunch. It was only the sheer luck that Rose didn't happen to be in the room when Victoire started in on Aunt Hermione. Victoire remained silent and nodded to Teddy, thoroughly chastised. It was hard not to snicker at seeing the girl put in her place. She had her good points, but pride and vanity would be Victoire's downfall if she didn't watch out.

Their parents, George and Angelina, were in the backyard with Bill and Fleur, also discussing Hermione. "It's a disgrace what they are doing to her," Fleur hissed.

"I know dear," Bill sighed. He had to admit that, while he was initially shocked at the allegations, the negative press Hermione was getting set his protective, older brother instincts into action.

"Look, I'm as confused as anyone why she got involved with a Malfoy half her age," George said, sipping his butterbeer. "But this is Hermione we are talking about. She's never done anything without thinking it through. And she's been my friend for over twenty-five years. I'm finding it hard to freeze her out."

"I don't think you should," Angelina said heatedly. "Just because your mother doesn't like her doesn't mean you shouldn't. You are a grown man."

Bill smirked at his brother, having realized that this must have been a nightly argument between the two. "Don't you laugh at me, Bill," George cried. "I haven't seen _you_ going out of your way to visit her."

"Touché," Bill acquiesced. "I don't know how to feel. Something is wrong about this entire story. It's like a piece is missing. I can tell you one thing. We all know she didn't Imperious the little bastard into spreading Dark propaganda. We also know she'd never, in a million years, sleep with someone underage."

"We all agree there," George said. "Though Ron is being a particularly irrational git. Even more than usual."

"He's got that cow whispering in one ear and your Mother in the other," Fleur said.

"Not Lavender's biggest fan, then?" Angelina smirked.

"To say the least," Bill said trying not to laugh at his wife's indignation.

"We agree on that, mate. She's bloody annoying. Ron honestly likes her though. He always was a strange one," George said.

"She's just threatened," Angelina explained. "Now that Hermione's in deep shit, Lavender is relishing it. It's childish, but she always _did_ hate Hermione."

"Either way, what are we going to do about this?" Bill said, not at all interested in what went on in Lavender's head.

"What do you mean?" George asked.

"I mean, this is going to tear people apart. Charlie's off, Merlin-knows-where, avoiding everything. Good for him. But we remain here and this entire thing is ripping our family apart at the seams. It's not Hermione's fault either. She was a free agent. She can date anyone she wants. Ron has no right to be upset. Mum is being bloody unreasonable. Dad doesn't know what to do. He loves Mum, and would never tell her how ridiculous she's acting, but I can tell he's worried about Hermione too. Ginny and Harry are strained. Percy running as far away from all of us as he can get, terrified Hermione's indiscretion will kill his political career. It's a bloody nightmare," Bill summarized.

"Yeah, I see what you mean," George admitted, "but what can we do about it? Nothing we say will change anything."

"At least we can support her," Angelina said, frustrated. "Do you know what will happen if they find her guilty? None of this is fair!"

George agreed with his wife, but he still didn't see how they could do anything about it. "Maybe we can go and see her this week. Just to let her know not all of the Weasleys have shut her out."

Angelina beamed at him, and he felt a bit better. "I am going to the Ministry. There is no way this can be legal," Fleur said.

Bill just sighed, knowing he'd never be able to talk his wife out of it. She'd been angry since the story broke, especially with her mother-in-law. But they all knew there was no reasoning with Molly Weasley when she set her mind to something.

* * *

"SCORPIUS!" Draco shouted, his ears practically steaming as he barged into his son's room. "What have you done?"

"What do you mean, Father?" Scorpius asked innocently.

"You know very well what I mean. You laid off half of the accounting department! Do you have any idea how long it took to find the proper people for that department. No one gave you permission to do that!" Draco shouted.

"Oh, well, you told me to take initiative. When I realized that the bulk of the work done there could be easily transferred to a computer and kept up by half the people, I assumed you'd be thrilled to have fewer people on the payroll," Scorpius answered, his voice light. His face looked innocent, but his eyes spoke a different story. It was all he could do not to laugh out loud at the enraged look on his father's face.

"Don't you dare lie to me," Draco spat. "You did this deliberately. You know very well that I will not be installing a computer at Malfoy Enterprises."

"I don't see why not," Scorpius replied. "It would save you endless time and money. You are wasting a quarter of your budget on personnel that you do not need." Scorpius was right, too. He might have been trying to piss off his father, but he had done the research. It wasn't as if he had time for much else. The fact of the matter was, if his father would embrace just a few Muggle conveniences, he could make Malfoy Enterprises a cheaper business to run, not to mention what it could do for his profit margin.

"You will be calling back every single one of those people and rehiring them. You will apologize for how you've acted, and you will not step another toe out of line," Draco hissed.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Lucius," Scorpius said.

"What did you say to me?" Draco snapped, his eyes blazing dangerously.

"I just thought that since you were doing such a wonderful imitation of your father, you might like to be addressed by his name," Scorpius sneered.

Draco's hand made a loud crack as it slapped across Scorpius' cheek. Scorpius, for his part, was stunned into silence. He never believed his father would use violence against him, but then again, he had pushed him pretty hard. He figured there must be many facets to the relationship between his father and grandfather that he'd never understand.

"Never talk to me like that again," Draco said, his voice low and calm now. Turning on his heel, he left the room, slamming the door on his way out.

Scorpius just sat there thinking. His father was making his life impossible. Why should he feel sorry for the bastard? He'd ruined his life, and worst of all, he was ruining Hermione's life. Why then, was he finding himself wondering about his father's reaction? Sure, he probably didn't want to be compared to Lucius Malfoy. It wasn't a compliment. But he _was_ acting like him, so he deserved it. Right?

Scorpius shook the thought from his head. His father didn't deserve his pity, or even a second thought. He had enough to worry about. He was going to make life a living hell at Malfoy Enterprises until his father either broke down, or freed him of his obligation to it. Or both. He also had to find a way to change what his father had done to Hermione. With Albus' help, he'd save her from the fate he'd involuntarily subjected her to. After that, he'd get the Compulsion Charm overturned and he'd leave this nightmare behind for good.

Rubbing his hot cheek he sighed and went back to his reading. There had to be something in one of these Malfoy journals about this damn curse his father had him under.

* * *

"Harry, are you sure I'm even welcome there? I don't want to make problems with your family," Hermione said, biting her lip nervously as Harry led her towards the Floo.

"Everything will be fine. Ginny is coming around, but I think talking to you would really help things. It will just be the three of us. Don't worry," Harry assured her.

"Okay," Hermione finally agreed. She was getting a little stir crazy, and she did miss Ginny. She was just nervous about her friend's reaction. She knew Harry and Ginny were not seeing eye to eye about everything these days, even if he tried to deny it.

Harry took her hand and led her inside her fireplace before calling out his own residence and Flooing them together. Hermione felt dazed as she set her feet on the ground in the Potter's living room. Even just a week was a long time to go without magical transportation. She wasn't used to it.

"Hermione," Ginny greeted awkwardly, and Hermione already felt the stress of the evening weighing on her.

"Hi Ginny," she smiled, hoping it reached her eyes.

"Come into the dining room. We're all set up," Ginny said, turning quickly, almost as if she were running away.

Harry placed his hand on the small of Hermione's back and guided her into the dining room, whispering for her to relax on the way. _Easy for you to say, _she thought_._

Hermione took her usual seat at the table and Harry sat at the head as they waited for Ginny to join them. "Thank you for having me," she said to her hostess as she placed her napkin in her lap.

"No need to be formal," Ginny said, trying to joke, but it didn't come out like it usually did.

There was an awkward silence before Harry started filling his plate and turned to his wife, giving her a stern look. "So, there's no easy way to say this," Ginny started, clearing her throat, "but I guess we'd better discuss it."

Hermione nodded. It was best to get it out of the way. "Okay," she said, putting her fork down.

"I'm very confused, Hermione," Ginny said. "I've known you my whole life. I thought I knew you, and then all of this happened, and I can't rectify the person I know with a person who would throw everything away for a boy half her age." Hermione noticed Harry had that look on his face that he often got when they were in school and she was fighting with Ron. He was afraid she was going to blow up. Perhaps ten years ago, she would have. Now, she understood where Ginny was coming from.

"I know exactly how you feel, Ginny. There is no way I can truly explain it unless you know Scorpius," she started. When Ginny looked as if she were about to say something she shook her head. "No, I can only explain if you give me free reign to talk without interruption. For just this once, put your judgment aside and listen to me, because I swear to you, I'm still the same Hermione that you always knew."

Ginny sat for a moment before nodding her head and Hermione continued. "If I were in your position, I'd be just as confused as you are. From the outside, it looks very much like I put a fling over the feelings of my children, and that would be unforgivable. But you should also know, by now, that it's not something I would do."

Sighing, she realized that she almost _had_ done exactly that, but even from the first day, she and Scorpius had something stronger than a fling. "Scorpius came to me in a time of great vulnerability. If I believed in fate, I'd tell you that was what it was. But I don't. It was just a coincidence. I stumbled into his bar on a night that I felt terrible. I knew who he was almost instantly, but I didn't care at the time. Why should I have? I was mad at his father, after all."

"So you did this to get back at Draco?" Ginny snapped, unable to stop herself, and Hermione just shook her head.

"No. Not at all. I'm simply saying that, the one thing that would have stopped me was the understanding that he was Draco Malfoy's son. As I didn't give a flying fig about Draco Malfoy at the time, that reasoning went out the window," Hermione explained. She waited for another outburst, and when she didn't get one, she continued.

"He asked me to meet him, and I debated it. Without the two drinks in my system, I knew that meeting him would be a mistake. But there was something about him, and I was _sure_ it would be a one off. He was of age. No one would find out. And then he didn't want just a one off. He wanted more. He wanted to see me regularly and I liked him. I really did. We have so much in common. He makes me feel like no one ever has. I can't explain it, Ginny. I fought it so hard, and I tried to get out before I was in too deep, but he never let me. He wouldn't let me run, and he wouldn't let me hide. And I fell in love with him," Hermione explained, feeling proud of herself that she'd gotten through what she wanted to say without crying.

"But this man just accused you of sexually abusing him and using an Unforgivable on him, Hermione! You are too smart to fall in love with someone like that," Ginny countered, her tone pleading for Hermione to admit she'd been under some sort of curse herself.

Hermione had debated with herself about what to say to Harry and Ginny about what Albus had told her. Finally, she decided not to say anything until they had more answers. They wouldn't believe it anyway. Everyone wanted to blame this entire thing on Scorpius, and she guessed she could understand that. For now, she had to figure out how to get him out from under his father before she could tell them.

"I don't know why he did that. I know there must be a reason. He does love me," she noticed Ginny roll her eyes at that and sighed. "Ginny, look at me. Am I an idiot? Do I make sappy statements of love to people for no reason? You have to trust me. If you can't do that, then maybe you don't know me as well as you thought."

"What am I to believe, Hermione?" Ginny countered. "He _did_ tell the Ministry those things. It wasn't someone else. It was him!"

"I know it was. Don't think I don't know that," Hermione snapped. "But there has to be an explanation, and I'm going to find out what it is. For now, all I ask is that you trust me, and know that I _never_ intended to do this to my family."

"But you did," Ginny countered.

"When I realized that I was in love with Scorpius, I considered how it would affect my family. I knew I'd have to tell them. It wasn't fair to lie to them, or to hide Scorpius any longer. I knew it would be hard on them, but be honest Ginny, if this entire thing hadn't gone to the Ministry, do you really think my children would have been so damaged by finding out I was in love with a guy half my age? They would have gotten over it," Hermione reasoned.

Ginny couldn't argue with that. It was true that, had she been honest about it, Hugo probably would not have had such a terrible reaction. And she already knew that Rose was taking the relationship rather well. "I just...It's hard for me to understand how you could fall for someone Rose's age."

"If it were someone else, I wouldn't have," Hermione said. "But he is different. He's an old soul. We understand each other."

"That becomes much harder to believe when I look at what he's done to you," Ginny countered.

"I understand that," Hermione said.

"I don't want to fight. I don't want to feel this way," Ginny admitted.

Hermione nodded and stood up. "Come here," she said, holding her arms out for Ginny. The red head smiled through a sniffle, and got up from her own seat, moved around the table and stopped in front of Hermione.

"I don't want you to ignore your feelings," Hermione said. "I just want you to be my friend."

"I'll always be your friend, Hermione," Ginny said, stepping into Hermione's outstretched arms and wrapping her own around her. It felt good for both of them to feel the weight of the strained friendship lighten. Both knew there was still a long road ahead, but Ginny was on Hermione's side, and that was all that matter at the moment.

"Thank you," Hermione said through her tears, and Harry said a silent prayer of thanks to whatever Gods existed.


	18. Homecoming

**A/N: First of all, as my wonderful beta can attest, this chapter was a nightmare. I know many are getting antsy for the action to begin, and I promise some of that starts here, and even more so in the next chapter. I haven't lost control of the plot, I promise. :) I have a reason for wanting there to be so much conversation before I moved on. I hope you trust me. A special thank you to Rusty Weasley for telling me what I needed to hear and helping me get this chapter where I wanted it. Also, thanks for reading my neurotic emails and not cyber throttling me. Now, on with the story. Enjoy. **

**Homecoming**

* * *

**_Ministry Out Of Control_**

_It took all of a week for the Auror Department to begin stripping away at the rights of Hermione Granger. In the wake of the sensational charges against her, Ministry Officials have now begun monitoring her Floo Access as well as her post. While claiming this is all in effort to protect her victim - and the public at large - one should point out, it's highly illegal. _

_The Charter of Rights and Privileges established after the War against Voldemort, states clearly that 'all accused shall be innocent of wrongdoing until proven guilty by the Council of Magical Law'. So too, the accused cannot be subjected to unfair persecution. There is no precedent for this violation of Ms. Granger's Charter Rights. Moreover, what does this say for the rest of us? If a known war heroine can have her rights stripped away, what could happen to anyone else? _

_There are still many who believe she is guilty. We at the Quibbler have made it clear that the accusations against the accused are both unrealistic and highly unlikely. Be that as it may, even if she were guilty, we cannot simply throw away the rights we've worked so hard for out the window. They are our rights because we fought for them, Hermione Granger harder than most. _

_Do your part and contact the Ministry today and tell them this will not stand. _

* * *

_April 2021_

Some time after being stuffed full of food, and listening to his grandmother tell him for the millionth time that he was a 'Weasley first'; Hugo Weasley wandered out to the back yard to see what everyone else was doing. It was stifling in his grandparent's house, but he knew homecoming parties were as certain as the sun rising in the morning.

"I wondered if you were ever going to come find me," Rose said from behind him, and he sighed in frustration. He honestly hadn't known she was there.

"Shouldn't you be off with Mum, licking her wounds?" Hugo pouted.

"I'm here for you," Rose said. "Believe me, if I didn't know you were going to be here, I wouldn't have come."

"You've cast half your family aside for _her_," Hugo sneered.

Rose stamped her foot in frustration as she counted to ten in her head to keep from throttling her brother. "I didn't cast half of them aside. More than half of them already know that Dad is being unreasonable. And that 'her' you are talking about is our _mother_, in case you forgot."

"It seems _she _forgot, long before I did," Hugo countered.

"You know what, you are lucky we are around a lot of people right now, or I'd knock some sense into you," Rose hissed at him.

"I don't have to listen to this. You've picked your side. I've picked mine," Hugo snapped.

"Hugo Weasley, I'm ashamed of you. You've never even tried to understand. You've never even listened to her side," Rose tried.

"Understand what? That she has been sleeping with someone nearly my age? That he got her dragged into this mess? I'm pretty sure there is no good explanation for that," Hugo said, smugly.

"You are a child," Rose spat in disgust. "What you don't understand about the realm of human emotions is astounding. This conversation isn't over, but I can't even stand the sight of you right now."

Hugo was a little shocked when his sister marched away; and when he heard the loud 'crack' of Apparition, he wondered why she was so mad at him. Sure, she was defending their mother. He guessed her couldn't fault her for that. But how could she not see where he was coming from?

* * *

Hermione was shocked when she learned about them monitoring her Floo and Post, but the truth was, she wasn't receiving any strange guests. Scorpius certainly wasn't going to come see her, if only because he physically couldn't. As far as the Post, the least they could have done was spare her from the hate mail while they were at it, but no such luck.

Things were getting better, or as much better as they could, given the circumstances. She had a healthy number of allies now, and she was grateful for every one of them. George and Angelina had come by to tell her they believed she was innocent. Although, George couldn't stop himself from taking the mickey out of her for deigning to share her bed with a Malfoy. Hermione just shook her head at him. He hadn't meant any harm. He was George after all.

Bill and Fleur, too, had come by, and she was incredibly touched that Fleur had stormed the Ministry - with no luck whatsoever - on her behalf. Fleur knew what it was like to be shunned by the Weasley matriarch, and while Hermione's situation was more extreme, she couldn't help but sympathize.

As little as they could do for her, their support was more than enough. She felt a weight lifted off of her, knowing that she had people in her corner. Ron and Molly were always going to take the news the hardest, and to some extent, she couldn't blame them. They were both often quick to judge and slow to forgive. It was how they had twisted things for Hugo that she could not forgive.

She missed her son dearly. They'd always had an easy and close relationship that Hermione valued more than anything. But every Owl she sent was sent right back, unopened. Rose explained that he'd been regularly corresponding with Ron, and Hermione hated to think what her ex-husband was telling the boy. If she could only talk to him and make him understand.

She knew he was coming home from school today for Easter break. It was the first time in his entire Hogwarts career that she hadn't seen him come off the train. She'd cried about it for hours, but there was nothing she could do. Even if she did want to go, she couldn't. The stipulation of her release was that she couldn't be around minors that were not her own children. It was a disgusting slap in the face, but she couldn't do anything about it. It would have created a scene, and she was pretty sure that was the last thing Hugo needed. According to Rose, he'd been getting it bad at school. Her heart ached for him. If only she could have waited until he graduated in June to explain things to him. Damn Draco Malfoy for removing her control over the situation.

Her stomach tightened with rage when she thought about that bastard. She'd see his head on a silver platter if it was the last bloody thing she did. The more she thought about Albus' theory, the more it made perfect sense. She couldn't imagine anything that would get under Malfoy's skin more than having a child accused of practicing Dark Magic and finding him in bed with a Muggle-born.

What she really wanted to know was what spell he'd used. She'd been researching everything, but had come up empty. Every Compulsion Charm she knew of would be tracked by the Auror Department. She wasn't cynical enough -yet- to believe he'd paid his way into having the charges pressed against her. Besides, if he had that kind of power, they wouldn't need Scorpius' testimony at all.

She'd even begun to neglect her legal research in favor of trying to figure out what happened to her lover. She had one of the best solicitors anyway. Harry had insisted she let him pay for it, though she made it quite clear that when the trial was over, she'd find a way to pay him back. Even though she knew Harry wouldn't take a dime from her. _Stubborn Sod. _

If she could only get more information. She hoped Albus thought of something soon. She didn't know how much longer she could take the pain of not knowing how to help Scorpius.

* * *

Scorpius chuckled to himself as he settled down with another Malfoy journal. If he weren't so angry with his father, he might admit it was fun to try and look for loopholes in his orders. He'd fired no more people. In fact, he'd done nothing that would really hurt the company at all - as much as he would have liked to - but he was certainly making things interesting at Malfoy Enterprises.

The latest prank was courtesy of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. It seemed poetic. Now, his father was eyes deep in paperwork associated with releasing of a set of Decoy Detonators that had nearly given his secretary a heart attack. It was childish, but it was his only real pleasure these days.

Oh, his father would be furious, but at the end of the day, they were an inconvenience at best. His father's not using the charm on him since that night he'd broken into Hermione's apartment told him one thing. The man wasn't so keen on using it, and would only do so if he had to.

That was really irrelevant, because making his father's life miserable, while fun, would not fix the problem he had. Albus playing guessing games was fine, but he doubted very much it would lead to a 'cure.' It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders when his friend informed him that he'd told Hermione what he could, and that Hermione believed him. If she trusted him, he could move on and focus on serious matters, like the journals. As interesting as they were, they had nothing about secret family Compulsion Curses. However, his father would be proud to know that he was reading up on family history. The Malfoys were absolutely nuts about family. They even made all the wards keyed into the family bloodline. No one would ever posses this house that wasn't a Malfoy. He wondered what would happen after he was dead. It wasn't likely he'd have any children. Hermione was forty, and it wasn't like he'd been dying to have kids anyway. He'd rather have her than children. It was a sacrifice he'd willingly make.

Regardless, Malfoy Manor was going to be pretty empty when he passed. It struck him suddenly that he'd be the last Malfoy. The inbreeding over the years had left conception a difficult chore for most purebloods. Still, they worked hard to keep their lines going. The idea that the Malfoy line would be extinct when he died was a pretty big deal. Shaking his head, he turned back to the journals. They kept his mind off things, if nothing else.

* * *

"How long can this go on, Draco?" Astoria cried looking at the empty place where her son had soundly refused to join them for dinner - again.

"He's a stubborn boy," Draco said calmly. Though, his son's antics were driving him to an early grave. "He will understand, in time, that this is for his own good. He can't possibly be happy with Granger. She's old. I can think of countless purebloods that could entice him."

"Then why haven't you tried something?" Astoria countered.

"He doesn't deserve it yet," Draco said.

"Deserve it or not, he's pining away for that Mudblood day and night. If you want him to move on, you are going to have to give him something else to think about," Astoria said.

"You could be right," Draco pondered. "I'll give it some thought. Anything to stop him from this pathetic lovesick behavior. And over _Granger_ of all people. Makes me want to heave my dinner."

"She's not unattractive," Astoria said. "You make he sound like she has the plague. Of all the Mudbloods to fall for, she'd be the pinnacle."

"Stop," Draco insisted. "It's Granger." Astoria just sighed and went back to her dinner. There was no reasoning with her husband on the issue of Hermione Granger.

* * *

"What the hell is _he_ doing here," Rose huffed as she met Albus at a Muggle diner and found him sitting across from Scorpius Malfoy.

"I will explain if you just calm down," Albus said patiently.

"This had better be good, or I'm hexing you both, and I don't care if a Muggle sees it," she hissed, sitting next to Albus and staring down Scorpius critically.

"Fair enough," Albus said, swallowing hard. If they couldn't convince Rose of that Scorpius was innocent, he was very likely going to have his balls hexed off.

"First," Scorpius started, feeling he needed to say _something_, "I understand why you hate me. I hate me too. But I'd never do anything intentionally to hurt your mother. I swear it, Rose."

Rose shifted her glare to Albus. "You really believe this crap? They have him on record accusing her of molestation!"

"Yes, I believe him," Albus said. "First and foremost, he's my best friend. We've been friends since we were eleven years old. I know him. And I knew about him and your mother before this whole thing blew up in our faces. They love each other." Rose's eyes widened at that, and she was about to say something before Albus cut her off.

"Think about it rationally? What could he stand to gain by lying? We both know that his father could have gotten him off on those stupid charges without bringing in a scapegoat. Moreover, you know as well as I, he's never shown an evil or vindictive streak. Why would it come out now? Why would he date a woman for months and then throw her to the wolves for no reason?" Albus reasoned.

"But he testified," Rose continued, seeing the logic behind what her cousin was saying, but she still couldn't get past the facts of what happened.

"He was forced," Albus finally cried.

Rose shut her mouth with a snap and looked back and forth between the two men. "Forced?" she asked, skeptically.

Scorpius nodded, "I can't say anything specific about what happened. But I can tell you, I had no control."

"He's been compelled to keep up this defense, and he can't talk about it. Physically, he can't," Albus explained.

"Who did this to him?" Rose asked.

"His father," Albus said, looking at Scorpius to see if his suspicions were right. When Scorpius nodded, Albus sighed, but it wasn't really a relief.

"Why should I believe this? It could be a lie," Rose reasoned.

"Because you know me. And you know him, at least well enough to know that this doesn't make any sense. Please, Rose. Put aside your anger, and help me fix this," Albus pleaded.

Rose just sat there, they could both practically hear the cogs in her brain turning as she thought through every possible explanation. "Your mother would want you to trust him," Albus said, going in for the kill.

"She's particularly blind when it comes to him," Rose pointed out.

This made Scorpius smile in spite of himself.

"All the more reason to trust us. Your mother is very rarely wrong," Albus said.

"That is true," Rose conceded. "Okay, tell me what you can," she said turning to Scorpius. "But if we don't get my mother out of this, I'll never forgive you. Free will or not."

"Fair enough," Scorpius said. If they didn't get Hermione out of this, he'd never forgive himself.

* * *

Hugo sighed as he looked out the window of his bedroom at his father's flat. As nice as it had been to get away from Hogwarts, he didn't feel very much like a boy on the verge of graduation. He should have been happier, or excited.

Instead, he was staying inside, thinking, and coming up utterly confused. As much as he hated what she said, Rose had made him think. It was easy to place the blame on his mother. She'd dated Malfoy for Merlin's sake. And now, because of it, she was likely to be carted off to Azkaban, tarnishing the family name and leaving him without a mother. The thought was crippling.

Part of him wanted to talk to her. Wanted her to tell him it was all a big misunderstanding and that they'd work it out. But another part of him was angry. Why shouldn't he be? If she cared about him at all, why would she do this? Why would she get involved with a guy that, even in the best of circumstances, would have made her the talk of the town?

Rose didn't think like he did. She was all about women's rights, justice, and activism. He just wanted things to be easier. He didn't want his mother judged, but because the world was a judgmental place, wasn't it better just to stay in line?

He knew he wouldn't feel better until he got some answers, but he wasn't sure he could be around his mother. He'd talked to his father about it, and it seemed that his dad was keen to cast his mother aside. Hugo thought that was unfair. Even after everything, his mother had always been supportive of his father, even though Hugo knew that Lavender set her teeth on edge. On the other hand, he could understand where his father was coming from. He couldn't imagine it was easy to hear your ex-wife was shacking up with a man half her age, and for that man to have been a Malfoy.

The question was, did he want to take the easy route and hold onto his anger, or get past it? He couldn't think of a single instance that his mother had not been there for him. Sighing again, he made his decision. He only had one more day at home. He had to see her.

Leaving his room, he stopped before his father who was working on something at the kitchen table. "I'm going to see Mum," he said confidently.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked, looking as if he thought that was a terrible idea.

"I have to. I have to understand," Hugo said.

"I don't think she's got any good answers," Ron reasoned.

"Maybe not, but I have to see," Hugo explained.

"Okay," Ron said, looking as if he wanted to say more. "I'll be here when you get back."

"Thanks, dad," Hugo smiled, and he headed to the Floo.

He was surprised to find that he was let in immediately. He'd assumed his mother would have cut off Floo contact to most people given the circumstances, but he tumbled right out onto her living room floor.

"What the bloody hell..." Hermione cried when she heard a crash in the living room. She had no wand and no way to defend herself, so she picked up the nearest thing – a pink umbrella from her closet - and stalked out into the main room of the flat to investigate.

Her heart stopped hammering in her chest when she saw Hugo dusting himself off in front of her Floo. "Merlin, you nearly gave me a heart attack," she cried, clutching her chest in an attempt to calm herself.

"Sorry," he said, sheepishly. "I didn't think I'd be let in. I was going to ring, but it let me through."

"Of course, you'd be let in," Hermione gasped. "You are my son." As she felt herself relax, she let the fact that her son was even standing in her living room wash over her. She had missed him horribly, but she knew she had to let him work through all of this before she could have any hope of making him understand where she was coming from.

"So..." he said awkwardly.

"Come in. Let me get you some tea," Hermione said, moving quickly to the kitchen.

"Do you have hot chocolate?" Hugo called. "I've had too much tea over the last few days."

"Of course," Hermione smiled to herself as she started the kettle. She was almost giddy with excitement. This was her chance to make her son understand her motives, and if she could get him on her side, she didn't need anything else.

She worked through her head what she wanted to say as she went through the motions of making them both a mug of Hugo's favorite hot chocolate. When she finished, she brought them into the living room and handed one to Hugo. "Thank you for coming," she said with a warm smile.

"I couldn't avoid it forever," Hugo admitted. She frowned at that, her feelings hurt as he basically considered coming to see her a chore.

"Hugo, I understand that this is a shock, and I don't fault you for being upset with me, but it hurts to know that you have such contempt for me," she said.

"You have no idea what it's been like for me, Mum," Hugo said, his eyes blazing with intensity.

"I'm sure it hasn't been easy," Hermione conceded. "Your sister is lucky enough to be out of Hogwarts and on her own. I knew it would be harder for you."

"You have no idea," Hugo said again. "The day the news broke, I got into six fights. _Six!_ Nearly every guy in school was talking about you. The things they say..." he shuddered at the memories. "Have you any idea what it's like to have your classmates taunting you about your mother being a whore?"

Hermione flinched at his words but shook her head. "No. I don't know what that's like. But I do know something about being made fun of. I do know what it's like to be an outcast. That said, I never had any intention of this getting out until you were out of Hogwarts. The Ministry forced my hand."

"As if you ever had any intention of telling us," Hugo scoffed.

"I did," Hermione insisted. "For a long while I didn't. I was convinced I'd momentarily lost my mind and the relationship would fizzle and no one will by any the wiser," she admitted. "But at some point, Scorpius became very important to me. I knew, then, that I'd have to tell you. You can understand why I wanted to wait."

"Mum, be real. This doesn't make any sense. What could _you_ possibly have in common with Scorpius Malfoy?" Hugo demanded.

Hermione smirked to herself. "Hugo, I know you think that I'm just your mum, and my only interests are looking after my children, and reading. I do love those things. But I'm a woman too. I was seventeen once. I was no different than the girls you go to school with. Perhaps a little more reserved, but still human. I have many varied interests and there is a lot about me that you don't know. Many things you will never know because it's not how the Mother/Son relationship works. Scorpius and I have a great deal in common, and I know you don't want to hear it, but we love each other very much."

"Ugh," Hugo spat. "Even if it made sense, which is doesn't, how can he be so in love with you if he's telling the Ministry you are some kind of deviant and Death Eater?"

Hermione pursed her lips. It was a very hard thing to explain. She recognized that no one believed her - at least, no one but Albus. "I have faith in him," she said. "But that is not what is important between you and I. What we need to discuss is whether or not our relationship can survive this."

Hugo shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know," he said honestly. Hermione controlled the urge to cry but just nodded.

"Listen, it's a lot to think about. I understand that. But I'll always be here for you, Hugo. And I hope you can come to terms with this and understand that I never meant to hurt you. It kills me that you are having such a hard time at school. I love you, and I always will," she said, wrapping an arm around her son. She sighed with relief when he let her.

"I need time to think. It's just confusing," he admitted.

"Okay," Hermione said with a nod, "I can live with that."

"I love you," Hugo said, and Hermione couldn't stop the tears any longer.

"I love you too," she said, pulling him in for a tight hug.

* * *

Scorpius moaned in his sleep as Hermione saddled up next to him, the warmth of her naked skin sinking into his own. "I miss you," she purred into his ear.

"I've missed you too," he admitted, his hands reaching out to touch her perfect skin. He pulled her close and covered her mouth with his, delighting in the sound over her surprised squeak.

"Scorpius..." she hissed and it felt like it had been years since he'd heard his name on her lips.

"Hermione..." he moaned in return, pulling her atop him and letting her settle directly over his erection. "Fuck, I need you," he gasped pulling her back down to his lips as his fingers tangled in her hair.

"Mmmm, me too. Please, Scorpius," Hermione panted, her hips gyrating against his until he thought he'd go insane. He could actually feel her wetness dripping through her thin knickers as she played with the top of his sweatpants.

It felt so undeniably real, and he was so hot - hotter than he'd been in the countless other fantasies he'd had about Hermione since their parting. He could feel himself waking and he tried with everything he had to hold on to the dream. "Please," he cried against her wet mouth as be begged his subconscious mind to stay asleep. "I need this," he almost sobbed as he felt her ease down the material of his pants, letting his cock spring free. Just one more second and he's be inside her again, even if it was just a dream.

"Yes, just like that," Hermione grunted as he felt her naked cunt rub against his dick. She sounded louder now, and different.

"Hermione?" he asked, dazed, his dream fading quickly, no matter what he did to try and keep it alive.

His eyes snapped open as he felt firm fingers circling his cock and he found himself under what was, arguably, one of most gorgeous women he'd ever laid eyes on. She was completely naked and writhing atop him, her wile mane of curls framing her face beautifully, as her thick lips pouted with desire. Her features were hard, but beautiful, and she had an intriguing sort of moan that made him shiver despite himself. Her body was tight but full, her large breasts heaving almost in his face as she bent over him. Had he been a free man, he would have probably jumped at the chance to fuck her. But he wasn't and she wasn't Hermione.

"Wh-What?" he asked, still dazed from his incredibly erotic dream, and confused at finding his cock sliding back and forth against another woman's pussy.

"I'll be Hermione," she said huskily. "I'll be anyone you want, baby."

He shook his head, trying everything to get his brain to think even as all the blood was rushing to his engorged cock. He moaned, involuntarily as her nails scraped down his chest and she moved to guide him into her dripping entrance.

"Oh Merlin," he hissed, feeling her grip on him. "Wait!" he cried, his eyes snapping open again. Finally fully awake, he looked at the woman sitting astride him and pushed her forcefully off.

"Who the fuck are you?" he demanded, trying his best to tuck his cock back in his pants, though it was admittedly very difficult at the moment.

"I'm just here to fulfill a fantasy," she said, with a shrug of her shoulders. He noticed how odd it was that she could be hot and ready one minute and completely neutral the next.

"Who paid you?" he growled, though he had a pretty good idea.

"You know, most men just say thank you, or cry out 'Thank Merlin'," she said with a smug smirk.

"I'm not most men. Get the fuck out of my room," he demanded.

"I don't get paid if I don't deliver," she said, glaring at him.

"I don't give a bleeding fuck if you get paid. You've accosted me in my sleep, and I wouldn't care if you never got another job again. Now, get the fuck out!" Scorpius shouted, not caring who heard him. In fact, the more the better if his father was around somewhere listening in.

The woman spat in his face before picking up the clothes she'd discarded and storming out of the room. He let out a sigh of relief that she was gone, but it only lasted a moment before his father barged into the room.

"She wasn't cheap, you know," Draco said irritably.

"Not my problem. Besides, I thought you weren't going to pay her because she didn't deliver," he replied in a mocking tone.

"It wasn't her fault. She'll get her money," Draco said.

"Yes, we wouldn't want one of the finest call girls in the country displeased with you, would you father? You might have to resort to using the Imperius Curse to get laid behind Mother's back," Scorpius said spitefully.

"I would never dishonor your mother that way," Draco said, his voice barely controlling his rage.

"And yet, it's good enough for your son?" Scorpius returned.

"You are being incredibly foolish. I have to do something to snap you out of this Mudblood-loving nonsense," Draco cried.

"Is it the fact that she's a Muggle-born that bothers you, or the fact that she's constantly bested you that gets under your skin, Father?" Scorpius sneered.

"Don't talk to me that way. I'm trying to help you, you ungrateful brat," Draco snapped.

"I don't want your help. What I want is for you to leave me the hell alone," Scorpius said.

"You are never going to be with Granger," Draco replied. "Do you really think you are going to live the rest of your life alone?"

"If I have to, yes," Scorpius said. Draco just sighed and walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.


	19. Correspondence

**A/N: Here's a little treat for you all. A chapter entirely written in OWLS (with the exception of the opening editorial). Hope you enjoy! :)**

**Correspondence **

* * *

**_Trial Date Set in Granger Case_**

_A date for trial has finally been set in the explosive case of Hermione Granger, who was charged with various crimes against Scorpius Malfoy, and the Wizarding World at large. She will stand before the Council of Magical Law as well as the Wizengamot starting June 16th. _

_This trial is unusual in its nature as the two legal bodies will be working together to reach a verdict. Because Granger has committed high crimes of magic as well as non-magical offenses, The Council and the Wizengamot will hear the case. In recent history, the only other criminals to be seen before both bodies were Grindelwald, Lucius Malfoy, and Alecto and Amycus Carrow. Hermione Granger has just been added to a list of very despicable characters. _

_Famed Solicitor, Roger Entwhistle, will be heading up the prosecution, with the usual questioning from the judicial boards themselves. Hermione Granger's solicitor, Adrian Pucey, is one of the best, though one should note that his father had ties to Voldemort in the War. Perhaps that's where they met? We are the Prophet couldn't possibly know. _

* * *

_Ms. Granger,_

_Your trial date is set for June 16, 2021. You are to report to Courtroom Ten at 9:00am sharp. Tardiness will be construed as contempt and further charges will be filed. For the duration of the trial, you will remain in Ministry custody. There will be no need for you to bring anything. Your solicitor will take care of proper apparel for trial. _

_If found guilty, you will be immediately sentenced and transferred to a detention center (i.e. Azkaban, St. Mungo's, etc.) _

_If you have any questions, feel free to encourage your solicitor to contact the court clerk. _

_Mafalda Hopkirk_

* * *

_Rose,_

_I want to explain before you read about it in the _Prophet_; for the trial, I will have to remain in Ministry detention. Please don't worry about that. I'll be fine. I've been through worse. I just didn't want you finding out from someone else. _

_How are you and Al doing with research? Please, don't let this affect your work. I've got plenty of time to do this research myself. I really appreciate your help, but I don't want you to take on too much. _

_Tell Teddy I said, 'hello', and I'll see you both tomorrow for lunch. _

_Love you,_

_Mum_

* * *

_Scorp,_

_Found anything yet? Rose is digging, but we are coming up empty so far. It's bloody infuriating. _

_Hermione wanted me to ask, "Is this Compulsion Charm something your father created? Or is it something that can be used by the General public?" I'm not sure what's she's onto, but she's researching even harder than Rose. _

_I hope you are well. Or as well as can be expected. Please keep me posted. Rose and Aunt Hermione are driving me round the bend with demands for updates. _

_I'll see you next week._

_Al_

* * *

_Al,_

_I'm still searching the journals. Nothing yet. Believe me, I'll tell you if I find anything. _

_Is Hermione okay? Tell me the truth. How is she holding up? Can you tell her that I miss her, at least? As to her question, it was not created by my father, but it cannot be used by the general public. I wish I could explain. I know it's cryptic, but that's the best I could do after twenty straight minutes of trying to write more on the issue. _

_I'd be a lot better if the _Daily Prophet_ would keep their editorializing about her to a minimum. But I can't really change that. Just tell Rose to calm down. Panicking will not help Hermione. And tell Hermione that I love her and I won't let her go to Azkaban. _

_Oh, and get this. My father hired a hooker to try and seduce me the other night. I woke up and she was naked and panting all over me, practically fucking me. The man is insane. I swear to Merlin. No need to tell Hermione that, by the way._

_See you soon,_

_Scorp_

* * *

_Albus,_

_A HOOKER? Albus Severus Potter, you had better be joking. And if so, that is not funny. If not, I will kill Draco Malfoy with my bare hands. _

_Aunt Hermione_

* * *

_Scorp,_

_Cat's out of the bag. Hermione knows about the hooker. Don't worry though. She's not mad at you. Your father's balls are in danger of being hexed completely off, though._

_Al_

* * *

_Harry Potter_

_C/o Auror Department_

_RE: Hermione Granger Case_

_Mr. Potter,_

_You've been relieved of duties at the Auror Department effective April 10, 2021. Given your involvement with an active investigation, we have been left no choice but to suspend your clearance. _

_This action is temporary, and you will be reinstated once Hermione Granger's trial is finished. All enchantments protecting confidential Auror interrogation techniques and information acquired therein will remain intact. _

_Phineas Russet_

* * *

_Harry,_

_What did you do to get suspended? If you did this for my case, I'll kill you. You have a family, you daft moron! _

_Hermione_

* * *

_Hermione,_

_Relax. I already knew this was probably going to happen once I got you removed from detention. They can't have any possibility of looking biased. The prosecutor is out for blood, and he demanded they let me go for the duration of the trial._

I'm fine. Ginny's fine. The kids are fine. Take a Calming Draught and chill out. You know I have plenty of money as it is.

_Love you,_

_Harry_

* * *

_Hermione Granger,_

_I'd like very much to meet with you in person as soon as possible to go over various facts of your case. I can assure you, I'm convinced of your innocence in this matter. Harry has given me an outline of the facts, but I'd like to hear what you have to say, as well as a more detail account of what happened. _

_Please know that I know Draco Malfoy better than most. I have no idea how he managed it, but I'm convinced he is behind this and we will bring him to justice. If you are interested, I'd be open to the idea of suing the _Prophet_ for slander as well. It's the least they deserve. _

_Let me know when you are available to meet, and please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have about the legal process. I'm sure you are nearly as informed as I about how our system works, but laws do change all the time. _

_Yours,_

_Adrian Pucey_

_Pucey & Associates_

_Keeping the Ministry Honest since 1999_

* * *

_Hugo,_

_How are things at school? Getting better? As bad as it is, just ignore them. All you have is a few more months there and you will be graduated. Your room will always be here, and Lavender and I have a lot of fun things planned for this summer. Just keep your eyes forward and try and forget the rest. _

_I could kill your mother for doing this to you. It's as if she didn't consider what would happen to you at all. Generally, she's smarter than this. I didn't marry a moron, but this entire thing with _that boy_ has made her lose all sense. Try not to worry about her. Thank Merlin her trial isn't until after you've graduated. _

_Just hang in there and we'll see you in June._

_Love,_

_Dad_

* * *

_Mr. Malfoy_

_Please be advised, your son was caught smoking Muggle cigarettes in the staff washrooms. I don't need to tell you how atrocious the smell is. An entire wing of the building is in a cloud of smoke. _

_This is also a health risk to staff members who are not used to such toxic fumes. _

_Thank you in advance for your consideration,_

_Lana Longhouse_

* * *

_Ron,_

_Seriously, stop riling Hugo up. Lily has sent me more than one letter to tell me that you are making Hugo's attitude worse. Every time he gets close to forgiving his mother, you make him question everything again. _

_Look, I understand that you are angry with Hermione. But that is between you and her. It's not good for Hugo to hold a grudge against his own mother. You shouldn't encourage it. In fact, quite the opposite. You should encourage him to forgive her - if only for his sake. He needs his mother, Ron. And when you finally get over your petty issues with her, you will hate yourself for driving a wedge between them. _

_Just think about it. We all know she made a mistake. We also know that it's cost her everything. Can't you just be happy with the punishment she's already receiving? _

_Love you,_

_Ginny _

* * *

_Scorpius,_

_Did they use Legilimency on you in interrogation? What about Veritaserum? Do you know whether these might work in uncovering the truth? _

_Rose_

* * *

_Rose,_

_They did _not_ try Legilimency on me, and I don't know any very strong Legilimens to find out if you can uncover the truth that way. They _did_ use Veritaserum, and it verified my testimony. I'm not sure how it works, but 'truth telling' charms are not likely to work either. _

_How is your mum? Can you tell me how she'd holding up? Has Hugo come around? What about your dad? The rest of the Weasleys? She's not holing up in her flat, is she? Sometimes when she's stressed, or in full-on research mode, she shuts everything out. She doesn't eat or sleep. Can you just check on her? Keep her mind off things, if you can. _

_Thanks,_

_Scorp_

* * *

_Al,_

_Okay, I give. He loves her. I wish I could fix this stupid mess so that he can make my mum happy. _

_Rose_

* * *

_Hermione,_

_It was very nice meeting with you. I feel more confident than ever in your innocence. We will work this out. As to the Compulsion Charm you believe has been placed on Scorpius, I'll look into it. Please feel free to contact me any time and for any reason. Draco Malfoy will not get away with this. _

_Yours,_

_Adrian Pucey_

_Pucey & Associates_

_Keeping the Ministry Honest since 1999_

* * *

_Solicitor Entwhistle, _

_I'm sending you a bottle of Ogden's Finest in advanced thanks for doing your part to get my son's violator convicted. You must understand how hard a time this is for my family, but knowing you have taken the case makes us feel better and safer. Hermione Granger must be put to justice for what she has done. Please know, if you need anything at all, I am your humble servant. _

_Draco Malfoy_

* * *

_Mum,_

_I've given what you said a lot of thought. I know you never meant to hurt me. I think I always knew that. You are a great mother, and always have been. I should have remembered that, but I got lost in my own issues. _

_Things at Hogwarts are not any better. I feel torn between ripping people's heads off and hiding in a hole for the next two months. This is not how my last year at Hogwarts was supposed to be. I don't say this to make you feel guilty. I just want you to understand what I'm facing all because you made really bad choices. _

_That said, I realize I'm more angry at Malfoy than anyone. He and his father are the ones that outed you. He and his father are the ones that are accusing you of things that not even the worst of the Hogwarts thugs believe to be true. And I recognize, it must be very hard to have feelings for the kind of bastard that would do this to you. _

_I love you, Mum. I'll always love you, even if I forget it for a moment. I'm on your side. I'm sorry I was so harsh and distant. I hope to never disappoint you like that again. _

_Love,_

_Hugo_

_P.S. I think Dad will come around. He's more confused and hurt than anything. I think he'd spent so long seeing you as who you were when you were fifteen, that he doesn't understand. Be patient with him, please._

* * *

_Hugo,_

_Thank you. I love you. You have no idea how much this means to me. I can't wait to see you in June. _

_As for your classmates, the only advice I can give you is to shake it off, hold your head high, and stick close to your allies (and I'm sure you have some). People who will take to torturing you for things outside of your control are not people you want to be friends with to begin with. _

_I know you don't understand the choices I've made. I can only hope that one day you'll understand how I feel and why I've done what I have. _

_Love you,_

_Mum_

* * *

_Ron,_

_Can we bury the hatchet? Again? I know you don't understand why I fell for Scorpius Malfoy. I know you don't approve, and I'm not asking you to. You have a right to your feelings. But what have I done that is so wrong that you cannot stand to be civil with me any longer? _

_Please, Ron. If not for me, then for the kids. They need a united front now more than ever._

_Hermione_

* * *

_Mum,_

_I understand that you are hurt and confused by what Hermione has done, but if you ever speak to my husband like you did last night, I will not be coming to the Burrow for family gatherings any longer. _

_Harry is tired and stressed, and he's been suspended at work because he's helped Hermione through this. We are both on her side here, and it hurts when you behave so childishly. What Hermione does in her private life is not your business. Let it go._

_Ginny_

* * *

_Mum,_

_I've decided to let Hugo make his own decisions about Hermione. I've been feeling a bit guilty about laying my issues on so thick. I know you are as upset with Hermione as I am, but please just let's keep the kids out of it. _

_I love you. I'll see you at dinner this Sunday._

_Ron_

* * *

_Gringotts Bank,_

_I'm inquiring about my family account. I wish to know if it is possible to open a private account in addition to our main account and transfer funds into it. Discretion is appreciated._

_Astoria Malfoy _

* * *

_Mrs. Malfoy,_

_While it is perfectly legal, and easy, to open a private account connected to a joint one, it is not possible to transfer money without the approval of both parties, unless one party is not able to give consent. _

_Bogrod, Head Goblin, Gringotts Bank_

* * *

_Al,_

_I've got a theory about something. A few weeks ago, before Rose knew about the Compulsion Charm, she came to the Manor ready to skin me alive. The thing is, she was able to get through the wards all on her own. _

_After reading some of the journals, I think I might know why, but I'm not sure. There's nothing concrete. It's absolutely insane if it's true, but I can't come up with anything else. Can you do me a favor, and get her to Apparate you both here? I know it sounds strange, but I'll explain everything when you arrive. _

_Scorp_


	20. His Blood

**Her Blood**

* * *

_Fair Trial Or Kangaroo Court?_

_As Hermione Granger's trial date is set, it is important that we all stay vigilant in observing official court proceedings, and ignoring the slander that our competitor has been spreading throughout Wizarding England. Most importantly, we at _The Quibbler_ make it our duty to keep the ruling class honest and Ms. Granger's rights intact. _

_Already, certain members of the media elite have taken it upon themselves to cast aspersions on Ms. Granger's character that are not proven, nor do they have a shred of evidence. Let's keep in mind, she is innocent until proven guilty, and the only known evidence against her is the testimony of a man who has hated her for years, and his son. _

_We certainly hope the Council of Magical Law, as well as the members of the Wizengamot, do their best to make unbiased and fair judgments rather than rash conclusions based on preconceived notions. Let us not forget the miscarriage of justice that nearly took place when ruling about whether War Hero Severus Snape should receive posthumous Order of Merlin awards. Incidentally, it was Hermione Granger who fought the hardest for justice on that occasion, not stopping until the former Headmaster received a First Class distinction. _

_Don't forget to keep our Ministry informed that not everyone believes what the _Prophet _reports. _

* * *

_May 2021_

Rose huffed impatiently as she used her wand to cast a Patronus and sent it off to find Scorpius. "This is moronic. I have things I could be doing, you know?" she snapped at Albus who was flabbergasted that they were standing on the front step of Malfoy Manor.

"If you'd stop bitching for one second and think, do you notice something strange?" Albus asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"What?" she asked.

"We got past the wards. I've been here almost a hundred times and I always have to wait for Scorp to let me past the gate," Albus said.

"Well, I don't know why," Rose said. "I got in last time I came here, too. There has to be a reason, I don't see why..."

She was interrupted by Scorpius opening the door and ushering them inside. "My mother will only be gone for a few hours. Come inside," he said.

"Fine. Now will someone tell me why Albus was so insistent that I bring him here today? Don't you two usually have your play dates alone?"

Albus stuck his tongue out at her, but Scorpius just ignored them both, his movements becoming more excited as he waved for them to continue following him.

"He's gone round the bend," Rose whispered to Albus.

"You could be right, Rosie," Albus replied, watching his friend hurry into the Grand Library not far from the front entrance.

"Okay," Scorpius said, taking a deep breath as he motioned for them to sit at the center table. "First, let me explain that no one, not even lifelong friends, can get past the Malfoy wards. My father and Greg Goyle have been friends since childhood and still, he must allow his entrance past the gate. It's just how things have always been."

"But then why…" Albus started, but Scorpius shook his head.

"I'll try to explain everything, but I need you to just listen," Scorpius said. He watched Rose and Albus look at each other confusedly, but they remained quiet and he continued.

"When Rose Apparated directly through the Malfoy Manor wards - and without alerting my Father, no less - I was confused. At the time I was too angry about everything happening to focus, but after I started to think about it. It should have been impossible. Even trying to do so should have left her no closer than the gate, if not severely splinched," Scorpius explained.

"So, I started looking in the Malfoy Journals, specifically about the Manor Wards. It was a lot of stuff I already knew, until I came across this," he said, pushing an open book on the table toward Albus and Rose, and waiting for them to read what he'd highlighted.

'_Malfoy Manor wards recognize family, be it by blood or intention. Children of Malfoys will always have access to the Manor and all the secrets it holds. Intention refers to the intended wife of a Malfoy heir who shall have unlimited access to the Manor in such a time as he gives himself to her body and soul. Usually, this occurs first in the traditional bonding ritual of the Malfoy family. It is, however, not limited to such a formal act. She thereby becomes his wife in spirit, and his family. Her blood becomes his blood.' _Rose read aloud, her voice beginning to tremble at the end. "This means..." she said, her voice quiet as she let the words sink in.

"I don't get it. Hermione's your intended wife according to the Manor's wards, right?" Albus asked.

"According to how the Magic recognizes her, yes," Scorpius said.

"But Rose isn't Hermione. It still doesn't make sense," Al pointed out.

"'_Her blood becomes his blood'," _Rose quoted. "It means the wards recognize me as his family because my mother and I share the same blood."

"Whoa," Albus said, his eyes bugging for a moment as he realized what they were saying. "Oh, your father is going to have a heart attack!" he said, trying to control his urge to laugh. It really was sort of ironic.

Scorpius and Rose both scowled at him. "Don't you see what this means?" Rose said.

"That you can get past the wards?" Albus tried.

"No, you moron," Rose huffed. "It means my mother is his wife, at least by some standards. Wizarding bonding magic is complex. That has to have some legal implications. I'll look into it."

"What about Hermione?" Scorpius asked. "Are you going to tell her?" He looked somewhat sheepish as he asked. Part of him wanted to tell her, not wanting to keep anything from her. But part of him couldn't help but feel that it was not right to tell her while they were parted. What if she didn't even want this? What if the stress she was under was, rightly, enough to make her want out? The thought made his heart clinch in his chest.

"Don't you think that's a conversation _you_ should have with her?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Scorpius answered. "But I don't want to feel like I'm lying to her. And I'm not allowed to have contact with her - even if I _could_," he explained.

"We don't really know much about this bond yet," Rose said. "Let's just research it a bit first."

"Fair enough," Albus answered. "Perhaps we should go. Your father will have kittens if he finds us here."

"True enough," Scorpius said. "I'll see you both next week."

They said their goodbyes and Scorpius showed them out the door where Rose promptly Disapparated them away.

He felt an odd sense of relief that someone else knew what he'd just discovered. Hermione had been his family for some time now, even if no one else knew it. It didn't matter. In his heart he'd known she was his home since at least Christmas. When she'd threatened to end it when they were caught by Albus - he'd thought he was going to lose the only thing in his life that he really needed.

Rose and Hugo being part of his family was strange. He hadn't ever thought of it that way, but he guessed, if he was going to have a relationship with their mother, it would be expected.

One thing was for sure. When his father found out, he was going to have kittens.

* * *

"Hermione, please have a seat," Adrian Pucey said warmly as he moved from behind his desk to sit next to her. He hated having formal meetings with clients. He always felt uncomfortable lording power over others. He supposed it had a lot to do with growing up as a child of a Death Eater.

"Thank you Mr. Pucey," she said quietly.

"I've told you, please call me Adrian. We went to school together. It's far too strange to hear you call me 'Mr. Pucey'," he laughed.

"Adrian," she conceded, smiling warmly. "I've come up with very little about this charm used on Scorpius. I've researched everything, but I can't find anything that would get past Veritaserum other than a tolerance the potion, or Occlumency. Both of which Scorpius does not possess."

"I must ask this, one last time. After that, never again. But please think about this very hard before you answer me," Adrian said seriously. "Are you absolutely sure that Scorpius Malfoy would not do this willingly?"

Hermione's gut instinct was to answer 'yes' without pause, but she wanted him to know that she'd thought about this long and hard. It wasn't just a desire to believe a lover. "Yes," she said. "I know him. I know who he is, deep inside, and I know he loves me. I know that he wouldn't do this without being forced. And he'd have nothing to gain by telling anyone that he was forced into it."

"That is true," Adrian conceded. "It makes me think. Back when Draco took the Mark," he cleared his throat, "many of us refused. More than you might think. My father wanted me to take it. Theo Nott's father nearly beat him to death over the matter. I can tell you very few of the Slytherin students wanted any part of the Dark Lord," he shivered even saying his reverent name. "We might have been misguided about blood purity, but we all knew life would be worse if _he_ was in power."

Hermione just nodded, surprised that her lawyer was opening up to her this way.

"Draco didn't want it any more than the rest of us. Yes, he was a spoiled brat. He was annoying as hell and always got what he wanted. He slept with nearly every girl in his year, and bragged about it like he was Casanova. In short, he was an arrogant prat. But he wasn't evil. He told his father he didn't want to be a Death Eater. I remember it clearly because it happened right before Malfoy was sent to Azkaban after that deal at the Ministry. My father was hosting a party and I heard them arguing. We all did. It was highly unusual to see such family disagreements in public," Adrian explained.

"I can imagine," Hermione replied.

"But then, by the end of summer, Lucius was released and Draco had taken the Mark. He was never really the same again. I never could understand how Lucius talked him into it. Draco had even threatened to run away," Adrian revealed.

"Do you think Lucius did to Draco what he's doing to Scorpius?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's worth looking into. Something got Draco to take the Mark against his will, and I never did believe it was just because Voldemort threatened his mother. Draco could always have gone to Dumbledore about that," Adrian said.

Hermione nodded. That was true enough. "Of all the times to wish Lucius Malfoy was alive to torture it out of him," she said with a sigh.

"Don't worry. If Lucius Malfoy knew of the curse, we can find it. It's not impossible," Adrian said comfortingly. "There are a few legal matters I'd like to discuss too, if you don't mind," he added, changing his manner to a more professional one.

"By all means," Hermione said, her mind was still thinking about what Adrian had revealed about Draco and the Dark Mark, though.

* * *

"Teddy, do you know any Legilimens?" Rose asked, after having bitten her lip to shreds.

"Ummm, no," Teddy said, his brow furrowed in confusion. "They are very rare. Especially after Voldemort."

"I know," she sighed. "It's just - I want to know if we can crack into Scorpius' mind with Legilimency. Maybe it could override this curse. But I haven't the skill. I don't know of anyone who does. It's too dangerous to bring in a stranger, even if I could find one in the darkest pit of Knockturn Alley."

Teddy nodded to himself, thinking. "Don't you think Uncle Harry might be a good place to start? He has a lot of connections. He might know someone."

"Yes," Rose said, "but I don't think Mum wants to tell him everything. She's being very strange about the whole thing. I don't know why she wouldn't tell the whole world."

"Maybe because it might put Scorpius in danger," Teddy reasoned. "If she had _The Quibbler_ write about secret Compulsion Charms and the like, Scorpius' father would know that he talked to someone about it. There's no telling what he'd do next."

"But Uncle Harry wouldn't tell anyone," Rose said, convinced.

"Probably not. But you can't blame your mother for trying to keep it from leaking accidentally. She's probably worried about you knowing too. Anyone who could do that to their own son could do worse to the child of someone they hated," Teddy explained.

"You are right," Rose conceded. "So, we have to find one on our own."

Teddy sighed heavily before turning to face her again. "Rose, it's very dangerous. The people who know that skill are usually Dark wizards and witches. It's not a parlor trick."

"I don't care," Rose said defiantly. "This is my mother. I'm going to do what I have to do."

"What about the blood thing? Can't you focus on that instead? Listen, I'll discretely talk to some of my contacts and see if I can find a non-dangerous, qualified Legilimens. You just try to figure out how your mother's bond with Scorpius can help," Teddy compromised.

"I'm not a child, Teddy. I can find someone myself," Rose huffed.

"When have I ever suggested you are a child?" Teddy countered. "I'm simply saying you are out of your depth. You are a healer. Your understanding of Dark Magic is entirely academic, and not very deep. Why not let me, the man studying for a Mastery in Defense Against the Dark Arts, take this one."

"Fine. But only because it's reasonable," Rose said, pouting at him. He just grinned as he leaned in and kissed her pouting lips. She couldn't help it, she smiled and pulled him closer.

* * *

Adrian Pucey never liked Draco Malfoy. The kid was a pompous ass most of the time. In fact, when his father had bought his place on the Slytherin Quidditch team Fourth Year, he absolutely loathed the bastard. Eventually, Malfoy showed he had skills as well as money, and Adrian reluctantly accepted him as part of his life.

He'd also understood Draco Malfoy in a way that only a few other people could. As the child of a Death Eater, much was expected and much was demanded. None of it was pleasant.

He'd heard that Voldemort was not as crazy in his first run for power, but after having been brought back by Wormtail his last year at Hogwarts - his last free year until Harry Potter vanquished the old Snake - he was utterly deranged. After Lucius Malfoy failed miserably in the Department of Mysteries, Draco has been the focal point of Voldemort's interest, and often punishment.

These were things no one really understood unless they witnessed it, as he had on a few occasions. He'd been spared the Dark Mark, and never been allowed to forget it by Draco Malfoy or the few other Slytherins who succumbed to their father's wishes and joined up.

However, he knew enough. He would absolutely stake his legal license on the fact that Lucius Malfoy somehow forced Draco to take the Mark and follow Voldemort. He was also certain that Draco was doing the same to his own son. The question remained; what was it and how can it be reversed?

As soon as Harry asked him to take Hermione's case, he'd jumped on it. He remembered Granger from school, and knew the moment he heard the charges that they were ludicrous. She couldn't even tell a lie properly, so how could she get away with years of deceit? Moreover, it wasn't in her nature. A person who'd seen as much Darkness as he had would know.

He sighed and tapped his fingers on his desk. There was no Compulsion Charm created that Hermione Granger didn't know. That, he'd take to Gringotts. Which left two reasonable options, as he saw it. Either Draco had created the spell himself, or it was very old family magic.

The problem with the first option was that creating spells is an inborn talent. One either has an affinity for it, or they do not. To Adrian's knowledge, Draco had no such affinity. If he had, he'd have had a much easier time of it when he was off doing Voldemort's bidding.

As far as the second option, while more likely, it would be much more difficult to counter. A family as old as the Malfoys was bound to have endless layers of secrets, special wards, spells, and protections. Countering them from outside the family would be nearly impossible. However, the more he knew the better. He'd have to get his best private investigator. They had less than two months to crack this case.

* * *

"Hermione," Bill called as he Flooed into her living room.

"Oh Bill, thank you for coming," Hermione smiled, gesturing for him to sit on the couch as she finished setting up the tea service she'd prepared.

"Of course," Bill smiled, though he was really curious why she'd invited him over.

"Please, have some tea," she said, wringing her hands in her lap. "I have something important I want to ask you, but first, I think I must explain a few things."

"Okay," Bill said. "Go on."

"First, I want you to promise that what I tell you stays between us. I wish you not even to tell Fleur. It's not that I don't trust her. I do. I just can't risk this getting out," Hermione said, her eyes nervously trying to gage his emotions.

"Sure thing, Hermione. I won't say anything," Bill said, his tone comforting and concerned.

Hermione took a deep breath before launching into a lengthy monologue about everything she knew about what had happened to Scorpius. She explained how Albus had been the one to tell her, and that even Rose agreed Scorpius was being genuine. She told him how she'd read through every known text about Compulsion Charms and mind control and come up completely blank.

"That's a lot to take in, Hermione," Bill said, looking like he was getting a headache.

"I know," Hermione said. "But I have to ask, because I know how excellent you are at spell work, especially unusual charms. Do you have any idea what this could be? Does it sound like anything you've come across?"

"No," Bill said. "It's very strange. It sounds like he is literally being controlled like an Imperious, but he has enough latitude to indicate when someone is on the right track about guessing what's happened to him. That's very unusual. It means the curse or charm is very strong but very concentrated."

"Yes, exactly. Which means, it might have a loophole," Hermione replied.

"Yes, but how could you begin to know what it is? There's no record of a spell like this. At least not that I'm aware of," Bill said.

Hermione's face fell, but she'd been pretty sure he would tell her that from the beginning. Still, she'd been holding out hope. "That's okay, Bill," she said. "I just don't know what to do. If this comes down to my word against his, I can't be certain they will believe me. More than that, can you imagine what it will do to him - to me - if he's the one to send me to Azkaban against his will?"

"It's a very tragic situation, Hermione," Bill agreed. "Best I can do is research, but I fear you are better at that than I anyway."

"It's okay, Bill. Don't worry yourself. I will figure this out if it's the last thing I do," she said, pasting on a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. He finished his tea and gave her a tight hug before entering back into the Floo, his head filled with a million thoughts.

Hermione sniffled as she watched him leave and stalked back to her bedroom. She was getting sick and tired of brick walls. No matter what she tried, there was an obstacle in her path. She'd never figure out how to lift this stupid curse off her lover, and it would leave both of them emotionally ruined.

Her breath hitched as she tried to control her emotions, but finally gave up. It was a losing battle. She didn't know what to do and she felt hopeless. Burying her face in her pillows, she sobbed until she fell asleep.

* * *

"Mother, I'd like to speak with you," Scorpius said, as confidently as he could manage, from the doorway of his mother's sitting room.

"Of course, dear," Astoria smiled at her son, happy to see him since he spent most of his time brooding in his room of late. "Come, sit by me."

He did, and paused for a minute trying to get his thoughts together. "Mother, I know that you know what Father has done to me."

She shifted uncomfortably, but nodded. "Yes, he's used a Compulsion Charm he learned through his father," she said. "I only learned of it recently."

"It's torture, Mother. Can't you ask him to take it off? I'll do what he wants. I'll work for him. I'll take over the business. I just want control over my life. And I want to protect Hermione from," he was cut off when his mother shot him a severe look.

"This is precisely why this is for your own good, Scorpius," Astoria said sharply. "You can't be trusted to make good choices. I don't like the means your father took to get you away from her, but I can't help but be happy he did."

"You don't know her, Mother," Scorpius replied, his tone frustrated and sad. "This isn't 1997. We live in a new world. No one cares about blood but a few outdated families that are in serious danger of dying out because inbreeding has left most of them sterile."

Astoria sighed and shook her head. "It is clear that you need further motivation to see what is right. I don't want to force you, but I'm not going to stop your Father. He is doing what is best for you, even if he is not going about it the best way. In the end, you'll understand."

"What do you suppose will happen?" Scorpius shouted. "That I'll forget her? That I'll help them lock her up in Azkaban and then move on with my life, marrying a vapid little pureblood and trying to give her children, even though we all know the likelihood of success in _that_ endeavor is slim. Then what? You and father have protected me from the clutches of a Mudblood, but you will have also made me resent you forever. You would rather I be miserable than to be in love with someone that you don't like because of an old and outdated set of racist principles."

Scorpius never spoke to his mother that way. Usually, he was content blaming his father for everything. His mother stayed out of things as much as possible and thereby did not incur his wrath, but the fact that she was so hell bent on keeping him from Hermione - it was too much to handle.

"Scorpius, see reason. You act as if every pureblood woman is horrible. I'm pureblood, if you haven't forgotten," she pointed out with an icy tone.

"Yes, and you are forcing me into a lifestyle I don't want because you are concerned about what your stupid little friends think. I can't imagine why I wouldn't want to marry someone like _you_," he snapped, getting up from the couch.

"I'm going to figure out how to break this curse. When I do, I hope I don't see either of you ever again." He knew he sounded like a petulant child, but he felt rather petulant at the moment. Since his mother was no help, he wondered who else could break this stupid curse.

* * *

"Okay, Rose," Teddy said. "I've found someone that can try Legilimens on him, but you have to know that this is legally questionable. Anything we may find out, we can't use in court."

"But if we know the truth, we can help Mum. And we can point her lawyer in the right direction," Rose reasoned.

"Then let Malfoy know what the plan is, and where he can meet us," Teddy said. He knew this was a bad idea, but he couldn't say 'no' to Rose. "One condition, however," he added before she got too excited. "You'll bring him here, but then you leave. I don't want you here while we do this," Teddy said.

"But..." Rose began to pout.

"No," Teddy said, his voice showing he wouldn't be moved. "This Legilimens is not a misunderstood soul. He's a Dark Wizard and he is dangerous. I don't want you here when we do this."

"If it's so dangerous, then why is it okay for you?" Rose countered.

"For one, I'm better at Defense than you. Secondly, I'll owe him a favor after this. He won't risk that by doing anything to me," Teddy reasoned.

"Fine, but I don't like it," Rose huffed.

"I'm shocked," Teddy smirked, kissing her atop her head.


	21. Legilimens!

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. My husband and I were looking for a new house to move to, and after a lot of hard work and frustration, WE GOT ONE WE LOVE! YAY! But it also means it took me a while to sit down and focus on this chapter. Sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy it! **

**Legilimens! **

* * *

_A Distraught Father Fights for His Son_

_Draco Malfoy has always been a man that preferred to stay out of the public eye. After paying his debt to society in the aftermath of the Great War, he took his place at the helm of the family business, Malfoy Enterprises, and had led the company into the 21st Century with aggressive aplomb. _

_Now he's been forced to the bright lights of media attention as he tries to help his son bring his abuser to justice. While only sixteen years old, Malfoy's son, Scorpius was the confused plaything for an older woman, Hermione Granger (Weasley at the time). He tells the story of the defilement of his son with a stern and uncomfortable delivery that tugs at the heartstrings of anyone in possession of a soul. _

_With Granger's court date fast approaching he, as well as we at _The Daily Prophet_, hope for justice to be delivered. _

* * *

"Wait, what?" Scorpius asked as Rose explained the plan for the second time.

"It's not that complicated, Scorpius," she huffed in annoyance. "We want to see if a skilled Legilimens can decipher the truth in your mind. If so, we can use one in court," Rose explained.

"But where did you even find one? That's not something practiced by most Wizards," Scorpius pointed out.

"Or witches," she said testily. "I know. But Teddy found one. He can be trusted, I swear."

Scorpius thought it over. Dealing with someone he didn't know on such a personal level did not sit well with him, but the results were of vital importance to the safety of Hermione so he couldn't really refuse. Besides, from what he knew about Teddy Lupin, he was eyeballs deep in a dissertation for his Mastery in Defense Against the Dark Arts. If he thought it was safe, it must be.

"Fine," Scorpius said, "but I'll Floo myself. There's no reason for you to get involved. These types of Wizards," he chuckled at her menacing glare, "or Witches, are shady characters."

"That the hell is it with men? Seriously? I've got a set of ovaries and all of a sudden I need a fainting couch just in the mere presence of a Dark Wizard?" she shouted.

"Or Witch," he replied with a smirk.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, shut up!" she snapped. "I'm serious. I'll be at my mother's the entire time the guy is in my flat. Regardless, I'm not some helpless idiot. I'm finishing my healer training as we speak, and I'm sure I know more than one hex to take the likes of your down!"

"Okay, okay," Scorpius said, putting his hands up in surrender. "Lead the way."

* * *

"Rose, you're _what?_" Hermione shouted.

"Look, Mum, I've told you, Teddy has it covered, and Scorpius agreed," Rose explained. She hadn't thought her mother would freak out when she told her what Teddy was busy doing with Scorpius in her flat. She'd been wrong.

"Rose, it is very dangerous. I know Legilimency is not widely talked about anymore, and it's not even on the Hogwarts curriculum, but it is actually a skill that can have very powerful repercussions," Hermione explained, taking deep breaths to try and keep her cool.

She'd had personal experience with it, both with Severus Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange on very different occasions. Snape had once tried to invade her mind in hopes of teaching her the importance of never being caught by a Death Eater, and Bellatrix had tried to use it on her, somewhat ineptly, when she was writhing on the Drawing Room floor of Malfoy Manor. Both occasions shocked her system almost more than the Cruciatus Curse.

When someone was traipsing around in your mind, there were two ways to go about it. One, he or she could go in seamlessly, like Dumbledore. This was a skill that was nearly impossible to learn and took decades to cultivate. The other option was the Voldemort style. According to Professor Snape, he entered your mind like a sledgehammer and left nothing but pain and disorientation in his wake. Hermione had serious doubts that whomever Teddy had whipped out of nowhere was Albus Dumbledore. For someone like Scorpius who had no understanding of the art, it could be excruciating. She bit her lip.

"You should not have done this without me," she chided her daughter. "I only agreed to let you help me with this because I trusted you," Hermione said, looking at Rose seriously. "What else are you keeping from me?"

Rose swallowed hard. Well, there was that bit about the Manor and Scorpius' blood recognizing Hermione as his wife. However,Rose really didn't think it was the time to divulge everything. "Mum, I'm not keeping things from you. I swear, I never had any intention of lying. I just got so wrapped up in the planning that I forgot to mention it," she answered truthfully. "Look, we will work this out. I'm sure Scorpius will be fine. Teddy knows what he's doing."

Hermione just pursed her lips. She wasn't so sure.

* * *

The man Teddy brought with him smelled like he hadn't been introduced to a shower in his entire life. His dark lanky hair was matted, and he had more tattoos than teeth. Scorpius did everything he could not to curl his nose up at the man. He didn't know a lot about Legilimens, but he was certain he didn't want to offend the Wizard that would be trying to break into his head in a matter of minutes.

"Ready then?" the man grunted.

"Do - do you know what you are looking for?" Scorpius asked, his eyes flicking over to Teddy.

"I've explained the entire thing to him," Teddy said. "Leaving out the unimportant details, of course. He'll be zeroing in on memories to do with you and Hermione, and you and this Compulsion Charm you are under."

Scorpius sighed and nodded his head, turning back to the sneering man before him. He gulped, feeling anxiety well up in his chest. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. "Is it going to hurt?" he asked.

The other man sneered again. "Not much," he said before lifting his wand, aiming it at Scorpius' head and crying, "_Legilimens!_"

If he could, Scorpius would have screamed like a little girl at the onslaught of pain directed squarely at his temple. His chest heaved as he tried to take in a deep enough breath to push the pain away. Nothing worked. He had no idea what the bastard in his brain was seeing, but all he could focus on was the intense pulsing in his head that made him think it was on the verge of exploding.

"Help," he gasped, knowing what he was feeling could not possibly be normal.

Teddy bit his lip as he watched Scorpius clutch the arm of the couch, his face screwed up in pain as sweat poured down his face. He knew there was some pain involved. The books had all explained that that vast majority of Legilimens were unable to perform without the pain of their magic swirling around in the other person's head. This was common, and often led to serious results. But the man he'd found was the foremost Legilimens in Great Britain. That was supposed to mean something. When he heard Scorpius gasp for help, he knew he had to make a decision. He didn't want Scorpius to succumb to the very rare seizures that were a possibility.

"It shouldn't be like this," Teddy said, his voice shaky, as he tried to get Malcolm's attention.

"It's fine," he snapped, pushing Teddy away and focusing on his task. "He's just weak."

Teddy knew he was in too deep. He should have studied this better. He shouldn't have jumped into this without more information. _Shit!_ He didn't know what to do. He had to help Scorpius, but barring attacking Malcolm while he was in the middle of such a dangerous spell, he couldn't figure how he'd stop him.

No one knew about this, except Rose and her mother. Albus didn't even know. They'd talked about it, but Rose had never included him in the final plans. He could call Harry but, not only would he be disappointed in him, but also, Harry didn't even know how deep they were in this thing. Hermione was keeping a lot of things to herself until trial. _Fuck!_

Scorpius began to shake and Malcolm had an evil look of triumph on his face that made Teddy's blood run cold. Decision made, he ran to the Floo and called out for Rose and Hermione.

* * *

Hermione was anxiously tapping her foot on the floor when she heard Teddy's panicked voice from her Floo. She and Rose both rushed to the fireplace to see his anxious face.

"Something's wrong. I can't stop him. You have to come," he cried, his voice shaking in a way Hermione hadn't heard since he was much younger. Her heart sped up in her chest, but she worked hard to keep cool.

"Move, we are coming through," she said, grasping Rose's hand.

"Are you sure you should. I mean, they are monitoring your Floo," Rose said.

"Yes, and they will find I'm going with my daughter back to her Flat," Hermione said, simply. "Let's go." As much as she wanted to panic, she knew that she'd have to keep her cool in this situation. Without any magic, she'd have to direct her daughter and Teddy, and she needed complete concentration to do it.

Rose nodded and watched as her mother took Floo Powder in her free hand and pulled them both through, landing gently together in the fireplace of her own flat. Teddy looked both scared and relieved and she wondered what had happened. She felt her mother squeeze her hand just as her attention turned to Scorpius, pale and shaking on the couch, a haggard man dressed entirely in black pointing his wand at him. "Mum," she gasped, but Hermione had already moved into action.

"Release him at once," Hermione demanded, stepping forward, her tone conveying that she was not to be questioned. She was using every ounce of will she had not to cry at the sight of Scorpius in obvious pain. Whatever idiot Teddy had drafted for the job must not have been as skilled as he claimed.

"Make me," the man said, a delighted sneer on his lips. Hermione huffed and moved forward. There was only one way to stop this if the Legilimens was unwilling to quit. Her breath hitched as she looked over her prostrate lover, and she bit her lip to keep her emotions inside.

Stepping forward gently, she approached Scorpius, though he wasn't likely to even realize she was there. Reaching her hand out, she rested it on his shaking shoulder. "Scorpius, can you hear me?" she breathed. He didn't respond.

"Rose," she called, turning back around to her daughter. "Bring me some warm towels, a blanket, and some chocolate. Teddy, when I say, get him out of here," she said her eyes flicking to the man who was getting sick pleasure out of watching her lover writhe in pain. He snorted at her, but she couldn't be bothered with him at the moment. If she'd had her wand, he'd have been dead in seconds. "Can you handle that?" she added testily, annoyed with her daughter and honorary nephew for having been so stupid.

Teddy nodded guiltily, and raised his wand to act. Rose rushed off to follow her mother's orders, and Hermione slipped onto the couch next to Scorpius. She reached her arm around him, maneuvering him so that he was leaning against her and her arms were wrapped tight around him. She knew, when she broke the spell, he'd be cold, disoriented, and likely achy all over.

"Scorp," she said, her voice quivering as she enjoyed the feel of him in her arms again. She'd missed him more than she could possibly explain, and having him close again made the feeling so much stronger.

"Scorp," she said again, this time her voice was stronger. "Scorp, love, listen to me. You have to close your eyes. He can't get in if your eyes are closed."

He wrestled against her for a moment before moaning in pain and she clutched him tighter.

"Scorpius, please. Just close your eyes. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Please, love, close your eyes," Hermione said gently into his ear.

"Leave off," the Legilimens growled. Apparently, Scorpius was fighting back, and Hermione held him close. "I'm doing _you_ a favor," he spat.

"Then I kindly ask you to stop. We don't need your services any longer," Hermione said icily.

"He's just weak is all. Just a bit more," Malcolm grunted, his own brow beginning to break into a sweat.

"Stop it," Hermione demanded, turning back to Scorpius. "Close them. Please, close your eyes."

Finally, after a moment's shaking, his eyes snapped shut and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Teddy cry out.

'_Petrificus Totalus_'.

Scorpius' trembling ended, but was replaced by shivering as he opened his eyes again, looking up at Hermione.

His mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to force words out of his mouth, but then he remembered, he wasn't allowed to speak to her. He felt tears sting his eyes as he realized he was in her arms again, and he couldn't even speak to her.

"Shh," Hermione replied, a few of her own tears slipping down her nose and onto his cheek. "It's okay. I understand. I'm going to fix this, Scorp, I promise."

He wanted to yell that _he_ would fix it. It was all his fault. He'd done this to her, even if it was against his will. It was _his _job to save _her_. But since he could yell nothing at all, he just reached his hand up and pulled her face down to his. His lips would not pull into a pucker as he wished. He couldn't will them to kiss her, but he nuzzled against her, breathing in her scent and letting it wash over him.

Neither of them had any idea how many minutes passed as they snuggled together, silently trying to tell the other how they felt. They were finally interrupted by Rose clearing her throat and looking awkwardly around the room as she held out the items Hermione had requested.

"Thank you," Hermione said, her voice thick with emotion, as she took the blanket. "Here, sit up," she said to Scorpius and he followed her instructions as she moved the blanket to wrap around him. He clutched her tightly and she smiled and slipped under the blanket with him, wrapping it around them both.

Scorpius watched her lovingly as she wiped his face with the warm towels and cared for him so gently. He examined her closely, looking for any changes in her since he'd last seen her. She was as beautiful as ever, but she did look tired. And it seemed she'd completely dispensed with the fine clothes and make up. She didn't need them, but he wondered if there was a reason other than her self-inflicted solitude. He supposed he couldn't blame her from wanting to hide. If he'd had the choice, he would have too.

"Here, love. Eat this," she said, offering him a bit of chocolate. "It will help," she assured him. Just as he'd taken his second bite, Teddy came back in, his stance weary as he took in the sight in Rose's living room.

"I took care of him. I Obliviated him, and sent him back where I found him. I set extra wards, just in case," Teddy explained.

"Did you find anything out?" Rose asked, unable to stop herself. If Scorpius went through all of that, it would be have been worse if it was all for nothing."

"Surprisingly, he was not up for a discussion," Teddy said. "I don't think he was able, though. I think he hit Scorpius so hard because he couldn't get through. It must have frustrated him. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Damn," Scorpius muttered from Hermione's side, and she felt the need to explain to the entire room how stupid they'd all been.

"I'm not going to put too fine a point on it," she said, looking at each of them, "but what you did today was incredibly stupid." They had the good sense to look ashamed, and she continued, "Teddy, studying the Dark Arts does not make you an expert. Your father was a scholar of Defense and even _he_ would never have messed with Legilimency. It's dangerous and very misunderstood. With enough force, that man could have seriously damaged Scorpius' brain. I don't even want to know where you found him, but I never want you to do something like that ever again," she said sternly.

"I understand. You are right. I was out of my league," Teddy admitted.

"And you," she said, turning to Scorpius. "Why would you do this? You had no idea what to expect or what could happen. What if he'd left you a vegetable?"

He tried to answer her, but his mouth wouldn't form the words and he let out a frustrated grunt of frustration. It was torture having her next to him, in his arms, but unable to even communicate with her.

Suddenly an idea struck him. He couldn't talk to her, but..."Rose," he said. "I had to try something. I need to make sure your mother isn't thrown into Azkaban."

Rose looked at him confused for a moment before realization dawned on her, and she sat in the armchair next to her mother, knowing that whatever they had to say to each other, he'd have to tell it to her. Teddy stalked into the bedroom giving them some privacy.

Hermione felt her heart flutter as she listened to Scorpius talk to her through her daughter. "I don't want you to put your life at risk for this," she said. "We will figure it out, but not at your peril."

"Your mother doesn't understand that I can't possibly worry about myself when I'm too busy worrying about her," Scorpius said to Rose.

"I'm fine," Hermione said, sweeping his hair out of his eyes. "Adrian Pucey is a great lawyer, and my testimony is going to prove me truthful. After that, we'll see what happens."

"What if they throw your mother in Azkaban, all because of what I did?" Scorpius said, miserably.

"Can we cross that bridge when we get there?" Hermione asked. "I want you to be safe. I don't mind research, but the three of you had to know this was stupid and reckless when you thought it up."

"It was pretty reckless," he said to Rose, smirking as he saw her blush. It had been her idea, after all.

"Hermione hugged him tighter. When this is over, and we figure out how to get out from under your father's spell, we have to take a very long vacation," she said, nestling her head in his neck.

Rose watched her mother and her childhood acquaintance closely. They had a clear intimacy that went beyond sexual. It was stronger than anything she had with Teddy. It was a closeness that could only come from deep understanding and care for one another. They were deeply in love, and anyone who watched them would have known that instantly.

"Rose, I love your mother, very much," Scorpius said, his voice husky and emotional. Hermione squeezed him tighter and sniffled against him.

"I love you too, Scorp," she said, breathing him in as she let herself succumb to the comfort of him holding her.

Rose watched them for a moment longer, and when it became obvious that Scorpius had nothing left to say, she quietly left them alone, clutching at each other for dear life. When she made it to her bedroom, she already had tears in her eyes.

"What's the matter, love?" Teddy asked.

"They really love each other," Rose said, sniffling. "And it might all go to hell in June."

"You have to think positively. Legilimency wasn't our only lead. We will figure this out, Rose," Teddy promised.

"Thank you, Teddy," Rose said, hugging him close.

* * *

More than an hour of silent cuddling passed before Hermione finally lifted her head and looked at Scorpius. "As much as I hate to say this, you probably should go soon. I'd hate to give your father another reason to torture you," she bit out the last bit.

He shook his head and snuggled in closer.

She giggled at him, and kissed him on the cheek. "I don't want you to go either, but after my trial, wild horses won't keep me away."

Scorpius wanted to tell her that was dependent on whether she won or not, but he supposed it was probably best he couldn't speak. There was no reason to reduce the feeling of euphoria they both had. They had plenty of weeks of loneliness ahead as it was.

Satisfied that he was warmed up and no longer in pain, she pulled the blanket off of both of them and reached her hand out to help him up. "I love you, and I am working to free you from this curse," she said, as they approached the Floo. "No matter what happens, I won't let him control you forever."

Scorpius would have told her that he would do the same, but instead conveyed his feeling with a warm look and a tight hug. "I'll see you in June," Hermione said, her voice hitching with emotion. "I won't blame you for anything you have to say about me. It's not your fault."

Only years of practice stopped the tears from welling up in his eyes. He just nodded his head and looked at her one last time before he stepped into the Floo and went back to the home he hated, his heart a little lighter.


	22. Support

**A/N: Hey guys, I know I've taken WAY to long to get this out, but 1) It was like pulling teeth to write. My Muse has been taking a vacation :P. and 2) With packing and getting ready to move this weekend, I've been so busy, I dont' know which end is up! Anyway, It might be at least a week until the next chapter is up, given that I'll be busy with the move all weekend, but I assure you, it won't be TOO long! Thanks for reading and reviewing, all of you. Enjoy! **

* * *

**Support**

* * *

_Entwhistle's Past_

_Often described as a no-nonsense solicitor who gets to the bottom of things, Roger Entwhistle was not always so well respected. After graduating in the middle of his class from Merlin's Order Wizarding Law School, he first worked maintaining the fortune of Theodore Nott Sr., a known Death Eater._

_To be clear, _The Quibbler_ is not suggesting that Solicitor Entwhistle is or ever was a Death Eater himself, just that he has much closer ties to Voldemort than Hermione Granger. _

_After the fall of Voldemort - and the incarceration of his number one client - Entwhistle moved on to the Ministry, taking on the Death Eater trials with gusto. His sanctions and questionable interrogation techniques were widely debated at the time, and eventually, after the last Death Eater was sent to Azkaban, they were outlawed. From there, though, his reputation was cemented. He was a shark, out for blood. _

_To date, he's been the go-to solicitor for high profile capital crimes, and his conviction rate is near perfect. That said, his style is often condescending, and he enjoys grandstanding and dramatic monologues. Ms. Granger's fate rests on his ability to convince the Wizengamot of her guilt. We can only hope they decide fairly. _

* * *

_June 2021_

"Mum!" Hugo cried as he tumbled through the Floo with his father.

"Hugo!" Hermione beamed as she welcomed her son into her home with happiness and joy for the first time since he'd left for school the September before.

"Hermione," Ron said stiffly, but she smiled because he was trying.

"Hi Ron," she said, as she hugged Hugo tight. He didn't even struggle this time.

"We came directly from the Burrow," Ron said awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Hermione smiled and nodded, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"No, I can't stay. I'm going back to the Burrow," he answered. "Mum's expecting me, you know."

"Yes," Hermione said, looking to Hugo. "Did you want to go?"

"No," Hugo assured her. "I've spent more than enough time with Lily." He rolled his eyes.

Hermione just chuckled. She knew Lily and Hugo fought like cats and dogs, but they loved each other like family.

"Okay," Hermione said. "Well, I'll send him back to you before the trial." She tried her best not to have a physical reaction to the thought that, in a week, she'd be held in Ministry detention awaiting a trial that would decide the fate of her entire family.

"Okay," Ron said stiffly. "Actually, can I speak with you a moment, privately?"

Hugo looked worried, but Hermione just smiled at him and nodded at Ron, motioning for him to follow her to the bedroom. Once the door was shut and silenced, she turned around to find Ron looking around; a bewildered and nervous look on his face. He never was much good at hiding emotions. "Maybe it's best for you to just say what you came to say," Hermione said, the awkward silence beginning to get to her.

"I wanted to apologize," he finally managed to get out, and Hermione knew he wasn't choking on his words because he didn't mean them. Knowing how hard this was for him, she just sat on the bed and let him struggle for the words he wanted.

"I found out about this whole thing with you and Malfoy's son in the worst possible way. I admit, I knew, even then, that the allegations against you were rubbish. You could no more be a Death Eater than I. The other charges," he shuddered at the very thought of them. "I know that you never cheated on me. You couldn't possibly do something so morally repugnant. I've known you nearly my entire life, and I threw everything I knew out the window because I was hurt."

"Ron, I -," she tried to cut in but he put up his hand, stopping her.

"Please let me finish, or I'll never work up the courage to say everything I've wanted to say for nearly a month," he said, smiling awkwardly at her before returning to his nervous posture.

"I was hurt because, while I watched you date after we divorced, I never let myself believe you'd settle down. After I'd heard you'd admitted the entire relationship to Harry, I knew it was serious. Serious enough that you'd risk a lot to be with him. I just - I just don't get it, Hermione. He's a Malfoy. We've always _hated_ Malfoys. And now...his son? It's a lot." Ron began to ramble and she took pity on him.

"I still hate Malfoy. I probably hate him now more than I ever hated Voldemort," she said seriously. "But Scorpius is not Draco. He never was and he never will be. He's his own man, and I love him very much."

"But the charges," Ron said. "You deserve better than that, Hermione. He's sending you to Azkaban!"

"Not everything is as it seems," Hermione said cryptically. "Suffice it to say, I have full faith in Scorpius, and I trust him." When Ron looked about to interrupt again, she smirked. "How often am I wrong?"

"Touché," he replied. "Look, if you want me to be at your trial, I'll go. I know Rose and Hugo want to be present, and if you need support, I'll be there."

Hermione smiled brightly. "I'd really appreciate that, Ron. Thank you."

* * *

"Draco, please," Astoria said, pleading with her husband one more time.

"I said no," Draco replied, a frustrated tone to his voice. "Even if I wanted to, do you know what will happen to both of us if I release him and let him tell the truth? You can kiss this entire house goodbye, as well as the money, because even if I _could_ keep us out of Azkaban, Granger would have an iron clad civil lawsuit against us."

"You mean, against _you_," Astoria said, her eyebrow rising at her husband. "I've done nothing."

"Yes," Draco sneered. "You've done nothing. Meaning, you knew what I've done and you did nothing. You even told Scorpius that you agreed with me. How well do you think _that_ will play to Potter and his precious Aurors?" Astoria seemed to back down as his reasoning sunk in. "Besides," he continued, "when my money is gone, you'll have nothing." Draco sounded slightly hurt as he finished his rant, "And certainly, that will be the biggest tragedy out of this whole mess."

"Draco, you know that's not true," Astoria said, sounding sincerely contrite for having hurt her husband. "I always cared about you. Even from the beginning, I knew you came with battle scars, but I loved you. And over time, you showed me that you cared for me too. I don't forget that, but lately..."

"Lately what?" Draco snapped. "You don't like how I've chosen to keep this family together? If I didn't do it, who would?" he cried.

"I'm not saying that, Draco. I was grateful you dealt with Granger, but you have to see this isn't working," Astoria said. "He hates us. He will always hate us. This isn't something he'll get over." She sighed, contemplating whether she should say what she wanted. Draco's moods were so erratic lately. "Did you get over it? When Lucius did it to you?"

His stared back at her, shocked that she knew and that she had the gall to bring it up. "No. But it was very different. He forced me to be branded," Draco said, lifting his sleeve and showing her the black mark that had marked his arm for over twenty years. "He forced me to bow to the will of a Half-blood maniac in the name of Pureblood superiority. He made me hurt people - kill them. That is _not_ the same thing. Imagine the life Scorpius would have if he tied himself to Granger. He'd never be taken seriously. He'd never have children, and if he did, they'd be the first Malfoys - ever - to not be Pureblood. In the end, what does he lose? She's just one woman. He's smitten. He thinks he loves her. Maybe he does. But love can be forgotten."

"Draco, you don't have to explain why you did it," Astoria said. "You just have to understand that Scorpius is very stubborn, and while what you say is true, he will _never_ forgive you for this. Or me," she said finally.

"I'll have to live with that, then," Draco said. "It's better than the alternative."

* * *

"Mr. Weasley," Adrian said as he greeted Ron warmly with a shake of the hand.

"Pucey," Ron replied, his voice tight. "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to talk to you about something to do with Hermione's trial," Adrian said, "if you have a moment."

"Come in," Ron agreed, hesitantly.

Adrian smiled and followed him into the living room where he smiled at Lavender Brown who was occupying the armchair with a cup of tea. "Hello," he greeted. She smiled but said nothing.

"I'll be quick," Adrian promised. "I really have a favor to ask you." Ron nodded and sat next to Adrian on the couch awkwardly. "As you know, a great portion of this trial will be contingent on how the Wizengamot feels about Hermione personally. It will be her word against the word of a family that is well respected and well connected. Still, she wields some of her own respect."

"Yes," Ron replied, wishing the lawyer would get to his point.

"It would help her case if you'd take the stand for her, as a character witness," Adrian said, letting his words sink in. When he saw Ron's face take on a note of shock, he continued quickly. "You were her husband, and by the looks of the story, you appear to be one of the people who was 'wronged' by her. If you can take the stand and make them believe that you hold no ill will and that you do not believe the allegations to be true, it will be a major testimony in her favor," Adrian said, resting his case.

"Me?" Ron said, having never even thought of the possibility before. "But surely what I have to say makes no difference."

"On the contrary. If it comes down to her word against her accuser's, you could be the very thing to tip the scales," Adrian said.

"Ron, I don't think -," Lavender started, but Ron stopped her with a wave of his hand.

"What would I be asked?" Ron asked, giving the idea some thought.

"From my end, it would be very simple questions. I'd just want you to talk about your marriage and what you think of Hermione's character - so long as you have nice things to say," Adrian added. "From the other side, I can't imagine what he will ask. I'm sure he'll try to dig something up, but you won't have to answer anything that doesn't have to do with Hermione directly."

"Okay," Ron said, thinking it over. "If it will help her, I'll do it."

"Ron -," Lavender said, her voice becoming a bit more forceful.

"No, Lavender. She's in real trouble. No matter what, she doesn't deserve this. I'll help. If this is all I can do, I have to. For my children if no one else," Ron said, decidedly ending her protest. She nodded reluctantly, but tried her best to give him a reassuring smile.

"Great," Adrian said with a bright smile. "Let's just go over a few things to prepare and then I'll leave you to your Saturday."

* * *

"Mum," Rose said, looking at her mother nervously for the fifth time. She didn't know what to say, but the uncomfortable silence was getting to her. It was better than the false cheeriness her mother had exhibited for the first part of the weekend. That was truly annoying.

"Yes, honey," Hermione said, her smile tight, and it really didn't reach her eyes.

"Mum, are you sure you are okay?" Hugo finally asked. "I'll go and kill Scorpius right now and fix this whole thing," he said, only half kidding.

Hermione chuckled. She'd decided not to include Hugo in the growing group of people who knew she trusted Scorpius completely. "Thank you, dear, but that won't be necessary." She sighed. "I'm just savoring."

"Mum, it's not as if you won't see us," Rose said.

"Yeah," Hugo added. "We'll come every day to see you. And we'll see you at the trial."

"And you _will_ be found innocent," Rose said with force.

"Let's not talk about this," Hermione said. "It's my last few minutes of freedom. Let's just enjoy it," she smiled.

They agreed and began eating again; though this time they tried very hard to keep the conversation going. Mostly Hugo recounted the last days at Hogwarts, although it wasn't as merry has he'd envisioned growing up. Still, he'd finally managed to wrangle some allies in school, and things weren't as bad as they had been a few months prior. Hermione was infinitely pleased to hear that.

Just as they were finishing, Harry and Ginny Flooed over with James and Albus. Hermione felt a pang as she realized that Lily wouldn't be able to come because she was a minor. Hermione was considered a threat to minors. The thought made her shiver. No matter what happened, those charges would always be there. She shook the thought from her head and greeted her house guests.

"We had to be here," Ginny said. "I just couldn't sit at home and..."

"I understand," Hermione smiled pulling her friend close, working as hard as she could to reign in her emotions. "Thank you so much for being here."

"We aren't the only ones," Harry said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

As if to answer her question, her Floo came to life again and Bill and Fleur stepped out. Teddy came through almost immediately. Luna was next, her smile wide as she kissed Hermione on both cheeks. Then Ron came through, with a completely unhostile Lavender. Then George and Angelina. Hermione's battle against her tears was faltering. When Molly and Arthur stepped through, it was lost and she let out a shaky sob. "What are you doing here?" she addressed the entire room but she looked only at her former mother-in-law.

"We're here to support you dear," Molly said, a grim smile on her face. "You are family, after all."

"Thank you so much," Hermione cried, her cheeks beginning to hurt from the wide grin that had taken over her face.

"Charlie couldn't come, but he sends his best," Bill informed her.

Hermione just nodded, overwhelmed by the showing of love from her surrogate family, and let Harry wrap both arms around her and pull her in for a tight hug. "You will be out of there as soon as this trial is over if it's the last thing I do," he swore to her.

"Thank you, Harry. This means so much to me," she said smiling up at him.

"It wasn't me," Harry admitted. "Molly was the one who finally decided we couldn't let you leave without as much support as we could muster."

"What changed?" Hermione whispered.

"She calmed down, just as she always does," Ginny said from her other side with a shrug.

* * *

At precisely ten o'clock in the evening, as promised by the Ministry, five Aurors showed up to Hermione's already crowded flat. They didn't bother with alerting her of their presence, things such as 'search warrants' were a foreign concept in Wizarding Britain. She was a criminal as far as the Auror Department was concerned.

Luna set her Quick Quote's Quill to work immediately when they entered, not wanting to miss a second of what happened for the next edition of _The Quibbler_. Besides, if they did _anything_ out of line, the community would know about it by tomorrow morning.

"Surely all five of you were not necessary," Harry said, standing at Hermione's side as she took several calming breaths. The idea of captivity, even for a short amount of time terrified her.

"This isn't your business, Potter," the short one snapped. _Napoleon Complex_, George mouthed and Hermione couldn't help but giggle.

"Something funny?" he growled turning back to her.

"No," she said, pursing her lips to try and stop from smiling.

"Not so funny now that you are about to pay for your crimes, eh?" he continued, grabbing her arm and leading her to the Floo.

"Aimes," one of the Aurors barked, and Hermione felt certain he was the leader. Even Harry showed him respect. "Don't give the press anything interesting to write, yeah?" he continued, his eyebrow raised as his head indicated toward Luna who looked at him innocently.

"I just can't wait to get this scum out of the community," Aimes continued under his breath. "Potter can't save you now, girly."

"Aimes!" Harry shouted, his face red with fury.

"Ignore him, Harry," Hermione hissed. "I am coming with you willingly, can you please refrain from disrespecting my home?" she said, giving the squat arse more respect than he deserved.

Two Aurors flanked both sides of her as the leader led them back to the Floo. Molly was already fussing over Hermione as they approached. "If you need anything, just owl us. Anything at all. I'm sorry about how I was. I'll make it up to you. Just make sure you come home."

"Thank you, Molly," Hermione smiled, her hands shaking with nerves. Rose and Hugo both hugged and kissed their mother good-bye, then turned away before their tears made their mother feel any worse than she already did.

"We'll be in court tomorrow," Arthur said. "All of us."

Hermione's heart felt like it would burst with love and appreciation as she saw all of them stand before her as a united front of support, and she blew them a kiss as one of the Aurors led her into her own Floo and she was sucked up into the system.

* * *

Scorpius tipped the beer bottle back and swallowed. His father had heard of Hermione's apprehension at once. The Ministry solicitor who'd be interrogating her and all of her witnesses had kept in close contact with his father, and he got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach when he realized just how little the man actually gave thought to Hermione's plight.

Then again, to the outside world, Scorpius had no reason to lie, and she was looking less credible by the day. He shook his head. No use thinking about that. All he could do now was work as hard as he could to break this Merlin-be-damned curse before he had to sit before the Wizengamot and, in front of Hermione, lie about everything for a second time.

He'd looked and looked and couldn't seem to find anything. If there was a way to break it, it was something passed down orally, surely. The Malfoys were certainly not writing it in their journals. He'd read every one cover to cover.

Tomorrow the trial would begin, and against his father's wishes, he'd decided he'd be there for every damn day. If she had to sit in hell, so would he. He'd watch, and he'd suffer, and he'd scheme until he finally got her out of this mess.

With resolve, he finished the rest of his beer and threw the bottle into his mother's rose garden. _Fuck her, _he thought spitefully.


	23. Trial

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I'm finally moved into my new house and unpacking little by little (an impossibly feat with a toddler demanding constant attention!). I'd like to thank you all for your patience and continued support. As some of you know, I'm prone to faster updates than this, but life has a way of getting in the way or writing. :) To those of you who are anxious to see what is going to happen, this chapter should give you a little more. Please note, however, I'm not needlessly dragging things out. I have a reason for writing the way I do. It feels, at times, like certain readers would simply like me to jump to the conclusion. That's not a story, that's cliff's notes. :) But alas, you cannot please everyone, and I thank everyone for their reviews, good or bad. That said, enjoy! **

**Trial**

* * *

**_Trial of the Century Begins Today!_**

_Hermione Granger, charged with using an Unforgivable, promoting the Dark Arts, and various sex offenses, will stand before the Wizengamot today for the first day of the trial that has had the entire British Wizarding World on pins and needles for months. _

_Prosecuting Solicitor tells _The Prophet_ that he is extremely confident in his case, and is gunning for retribution in the offenses against Scorpius Malfoy and the Wizarding World at large. _

_Continuing coverage will be available throughout the trial as we bring you every detail of the most anticipated trial since the infamous Death Eater trials after the fall of Voldemort. _

* * *

Hermione took several deep breaths as she held her head high and allowed the Auror assigned to her to bring her into the Grand Courtroom. It was bigger than Harry had described it in their Fifth Year, but that could have been because it was packed to the gills.

She looked around quickly, spotting her supporters not far from the chair she was meant to occupy at the center of the room. It was so different than how Muggle legal proceedings operated. Basically, for the entirety of the trial, she'd be on display - the central focal point of the room - with Adrian Pucey her only companion. Still, the Weasley set up shop as close to her as possible.

She settled into her chair and felt a strong magical force pass over her. She realized instantly, that she wouldn't be able to get up from the chair until the magical bond was removed. With a sigh, she looked to her left and saw the Malfoys. Draco's sneer was deep set and Astoria looked as if she would like nothing more than to possess a pair of death-ray eyes. Scorpius sat, expressionless, next to his mother.

She dared not look at him too long, for one, because she didn't want to raise suspicions from that horrible Solicitor Entwhistle. With her luck, a smile from her would be regarded as hostile contempt of court. Besides, the look on his face was not comforting. According to Albus, the compulsion extended to not showing any sign of his deceit in trial. She couldn't imagine the war raging inside of him. It hurt her to even consider it. Best she just keep her eyes forward and get through this thing.

"Hermione," Adrian said, squeezing her hand from his desk at her left side.

"Adrian," she smiled in return, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Hermione said with a shaky sigh.

"His opening monologue will be the hardest part today. Don't let what he says get to you. It means nothing, legally," Adrian said.

"Thanks, Adrian," she replied. He'd been such a great lawyer. He was understanding and kind, but he didn't pity her. She appreciated that.

It was another five minutes before the entire Wizengamot entered the room, followed closely behind the Council of Magical Law. There was no dramatic 'All Rise' moment, or any silent awe. Essentially, they entered, sat, and the Minister stood before them.

"Order," he called, and the room gradually went from a cacophony of chatter to silence. "We are called here today to witness the testimony of Hermione Jean Granger for various crimes and misdemeanors against the Wizarding World as well as a private citizen, Scorpius Malfoy. How does the accused plead?"

"Not guilty on all counts," Adrian said, his voice firm and clear. A hushed muttering filled the courtroom, but quieted instantly when the Minister began speaking again.

"Very well," he said, marking something on the parchment before him. "Then Mr. Entwhistle shall begin his case, followed by Mr. Pucey in Hermione Granger's defense." He efficiently moved back to his seat in the middle of the crowd of politicians and poised his quill to take notes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot," Entwhistle started, as he got up and began pacing the room. His tone was affected, superior, and his gait self-assured. Even if he wasn't the man trying to put her in Azkaban, Hermione was sure she would have hated him.

"We are here today to determine the guilt or innocence of Hermione Granger, a woman who's offenses go beyond the inconvenience of simply holding out dated ideas and using Dark Magic, but go further to ruining the life of a young man with every opportunity to be a valuable member of the Wizarding Community until he was raped and abused by this vile pedophile," he continued, pointing his finger accusingly at Hermione. She could do nothing but sit there and take the assault.

"I'm sure Mr. Pucey will try to tug at your heart strings. I'm sure he'll tell you how Hermione Granger was a great War Heroine who 'saved the day' by helping Harry Potter take down Voldemort. I'm sure he'll hope you take into consideration that she's a woman and thereby, 'less of a threat'. I'm even sure that he will try to deny all these accusations completely, leaving Scorpius Malfoy the villain in some make believe plot to take down Ms. Granger for no good reason. But I can assure you this: Hermione Granger is no Hero. She preyed on a child for sexual gratification. She held him prisoner under the Imperious Curse to do her bidding, and violated him in every way possible. She forced him to insert the Dark Mark into his paintings in some inexplicable homage to a fallen megalomaniac. This 'mere woman' ruined his life, and it would be a miscarriage of justice for anyone to let this criminal walk the streets. Regardless of past actions, Hermione Granger is dangerous, and cannot be rehabilitated."

Hermione swallowed hard and kept her eyes forward, no matter how much she wanted to look around and see how his speech was playing to the masses. He was a good orator, but she had to believe that anyone that really knew her would find his over-the-top assessment of her character lacking in basic logic or reasoning. Then again, trials like this were based a great deal on emotion. She just had to hope that having the Wizengamot and Magical Law Council as her jury would play in her favor in this case.

"I ask you, as our esteemed legal councils, to remember Scorpius Malfoy, a boy of only sixteen, taken in, seduced, and used by a woman old enough to be his mother. Remember that boy, on the cusp of manhood, as he had his innocence stolen and his free will revoked. Remember him as you listen to the elaborate lies the Defense tries to concoct. Thank you." He ended his speech with a bow and turned around, walking self assuredly to his chair near the Malfoys. Hermione refused to look at him.

Adrian squeezed her hand one last time before standing up and making his own way to the front of the room. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot and Council of Magical Law, thank you for hearing, without prejudice, the case of my client, Hermione Jean Granger."

He paused for a moment, as if thinking to himself before continuing, making eye contact with many of the individual members of the court. "As all of you know, Hermione Granger _is_ a war heroine. Regardless of any charges facing her today, she, along with Ron Weasley and Harry Potter destroyed the Horcruxes that lead directly to the destruction of Voldemort. It was her problem solving that protected the Philosopher's Stone when she was a child. It was her research that saved Ginny Weasley's life in the Chamber of Secrets. It was her quick thinking that rescued a falsely accused Sirius Black from almost certain death. She was the mind behind Dumbledore's Army. She was the stabilizing force in the often-heralded 'Golden Trio'. Without her, Harry Potter, as he'd admit to anyone, would surely have failed, and we'd live in an age of Darkness." Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She never was comfortable having what she considered just rational action to be heroic.

"More than that," Adrian continued, "Hermione Granger is the woman who fought endlessly for the rights of the less fortunate. She used all of her political capital to rescue Werewolves and House-elves, and take care of the War orphans and the sick. No one that knows Hermione would ever accuse her of having a manipulating bone in her body. Her integrity has never been questioned in forty years, until now."

Whispering descended upon the courtroom again, and Adrian let it pass before going on. "Now, she sits before the court accused of crimes that are wildly outside the realm of her personality. Accused by a family that has never ceased to make their opinion of Muggle-borns known. We have Hermione Granger, Heroine of the Light facing trial on the accusations of the son of a Death Eater." A gasp was heard all around her, and for a moment, Hermione almost stopped her lawyer from continuing. It wasn't really a fair line of argument. Then again, did Draco Malfoy deserve fair? Her principles argued against it, but inside, she knew this was necessary.

"There is no doubt that a consensual relationship between Hermione Granger and Scorpius Malfoy would send the Malfoy patriarch into a rage. Occam's Razor states that the simplest explanation is usually correct. Which seems more believable? That Hermione Granger, against everything she's ever stood for, became a Dark Witch who used her wiles to seduce a child and plant ineffectual Dark propaganda into Muggle art? Or that, upon discovering his son was sleeping with a Muggle-born; Draco Malfoy forced him to make false accusations against her? I'll leave that to you to decide in your wisdom." Adrian bowed his head before looking up again.

"I leave you with one final thought. Every person who knows Hermione personally is sitting by her side today. All those people who should be most upset with her, should these accusations be true, stand by her. That should say something about who Hermione Granger really is."

Hermione was awed as Adrian sat down next to her again. He gave her a warm smile and made a few short notes. She couldn't believe how well he'd held up against Entwhistle. She'd trusted him, sure, but Entwhistle was known for being cutthroat and in her opinion, Adrian just owned him in the opening monologue.

* * *

Scorpius shifted in his seat. It had already been three hours and Harry Potter, Al, and Luna Lovegood had all testified. He thought Albus had provided the best testimony. He knew both sides of the story and he could say many of the things that Scorpius longed to say.

Entwhistle had been smoking mad when Albus said, under Veritaserum, "I know Scorpius like I know myself, and he loves Hermione. I also know exactly who he's slept with since he lost his virginity in fifth year, and I can tell you, he wasn't with my Aunt until well after his seventeenth birthday."

Had he not been under the affects of the Compulsion Charm, he probably would have cheered for his best friend.

So far, the best Entwhistle could come up with was that Hermione conveniently admitted to her Auror friend - Harry - that she was having a relationship with him the day she was arrested. It might get people thinking, but it was weak.

Hermione's slightly insane friend Luna gave shocking testimony when she told the entire court room that Hermione had confided in her when Scorpius had initiated a sexual relationship with her. Gasps could be heard around the room when Luna explained how Hermione Flooed her, in a panic, about whether or not it was appropriate to get involved with a man half her age in October. He wanted to smile, but his face remained stoic.

They broke for the day, knowing that the next testimony would be a long one. His father was set to take the witness stand at nine o'clock the next morning.

* * *

Wizarding trial procedure was much different than what Hermione understood from the Muggle world. For instance, before the trial even began, all of the evidence had already been perused by the members of the Wizengamot and Magical Law Council. It would be brought up when necessary, but it was already committed to memory. The actual trial consisted of spoken testimony. That testimony could come in any order the trial organizer decided. There was no idea that the Prosecution presented their case and the Defense presented their rebuttal.

In the case of her trial, she'd seen only her own witnesses called the first day. She was feeling much more confident, and from the looks in the eyes of the body that would decide her fate, hope didn't seem unreasonable.

However, things were about to change. The two people to testify next were Draco Malfoy and Rita Skeeter. She had no doubt they'd crush her hope. They would be under Veritaserum too, after all. She shook the thoughts from her head and reminded herself she had no control over what would be said today. All she could do was put her trust in the people before her, hoping they'd take into consideration how absurd the charges were. From what she could tell, they at least retained an open mind. There were only about twelve members (mostly of the Council of Magical Law) who seemed to pin her with a hard glance that showed, they would likely not be swayed. The rest were impassive. That was something, at least.

Her internal worrying was interrupted when Draco Malfoy sauntered up to the witness stand, his presence conveying both smug confidence and the vulnerability of a protective father. It was a cocktail of emotions that only someone as skilled as Draco Malfoy could pull off. Hermione's eyes drifted to Scorpius' mother who was watching her husband intensely as Scorpius just scowled by her side.

She turned around and Draco's eyes locked on hers, an intense hatred burning there as he took his sip of Veritaserum. "Thank you for being here today," Solicitor Entwhistle nearly cooed.

"I assure you that it is my deepest wish that I didn't have to," Draco responded. Hermione couldn't control the roll of her eyes as she saw that master actor at work. Oh, how she hated that man.

"Please, can you tell me, how you came to learn about your son's elicit relationship with Hermione Granger?" Entwhistle prompted, cutting directly to the chase.

Draco cleared his throat, and Hermione knew him well enough to know that every action, every pause, and every twist of his lips was perfectly crafted and practiced before he took the stand. There was nothing genuine about this man. How had he become like this? As big of a prat as he'd been in school, he wasn't Lucius. Yet, here he was, proving her wrong.

"After Scorpius was charged with spreading Dark propaganda, I followed him and found him in bed with her," Draco said snarling. "When I took him home, I demanded an explanation. She's old enough to be his mother, for Merlin's sake. He didn't want to admit the truth. I could see he was pushing against some sort of compulsion..."

Hermione nearly snorted out loud at that. As if he had any right to talk about compelling someone to do something against his will.

"I realized instantly, it was the Imperious Curse. After my experience in the war, I'd seen the signs to many times. I was horrified and released him at once. It was just lucky that I knew the counter-curse to the Imperious, or there is no telling how long he might have been under her spell.

"That's when he told me what had happened. How Granger seduced him when he was no more than fifteen and he'd fallen for her, but when he wanted out, she wouldn't let him. She forced him to stay with her, and she forced him to do her bidding. He never even wanted to go to Art School. She forced that as well," Draco explained, his voice pained, and if she didn't know better she might have believed him. Looking around the room she saw a number of the people watching _did_ believe him. He was under Veritaserum after all.

She bit her lip and looked at Adrian who just gave her a comforting smile before continuing to jot down notes.

"And what was your first reaction to your son's confession?" Entwhistle asked.

"I was enraged. He is a bright boy with endless potential. She'd nearly ruined his life. If I hadn't found them, how long would it have gone on? I wanted to kill her," he admitted.

For the first time, Hermione was sure he was telling the truth. She frowned. How could he be so upset over something that did not really affect him in the grand scheme of things?

"Do you have any reason to believe Scorpius was not being truthful when he confessed the affair to you?" Entwhistle asked.

Hermione was growing very tired of her relationship being referred to as an "affair" or "elicit." It was yet to be determined what had really happened, but she knew Adrian was picking his battles on what to object to and she trusted him.

"No," Draco said. "He was not lying to me. When I lifted her curse from him, he had no reason to lie."

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy," Entwhistle said, nodding to Adrian, and taking his seat.

Scorpius' nails dug into his fingers as he listened to his father lie through his teeth. It was too bad the man had acquired a tolerance for Veritaserum during the war. It was also too bad that the Ministry seemed to be totally ignorant of this fact. He just hoped Hermione's lawyer had an ace up his sleeve. Listening to the murmuring around him, he could tell that the public was being swayed by his father's performance. Looking up at the Wizengamot and Council, some of them seemed to be leaning away from Hermione as well. _Shit. _

"Mr. Malfoy, as I understand from my client as well as your own testimony, you discovered Ms. Granger's relationship with your son on Wednesday evening, is that correct?" Hermione's solicitor asked.

"Yes," Draco said.

"And you did not report it to the Auror Department until the next day after meeting with your own solicitor, is that correct?" Adrian asked again.

"Yes, but -,"

Adrian Pucey cut him off, quickly. "Why? Why, if you were ready to 'kill' Hermione Granger, as you say, would you meet with your own lawyer before reporting such egregious crimes against your son?" Adrian asked. Scorpius smirked to himself. _Good fucking point. _

"As you _used _to know, Pucey," Draco drawled, not letting the question ruffle him in the slightest, "I had to make sure that the fallout from what was done to my son would not have implications for his future."

"So, to get this straight," Pucey said, pacing back and forth, "you had just been informed that your son was seduced, molested, had Unforgivable Curses placed on him, and ordered to spread Dark Magic, and your first instinct was to send him off to bed while you called your lawyer. That doesn't seem rational."

"How is this for rational?" Draco began, his voice steely. "I had just learned that my child had been brutally raped repeatedly by a woman who's been held in high esteem around the entire Wizarding World, and he was scared and horrified. As a father, I had to be sure that we had proper counsel should the Ministry turn on us. What if they were to call him a liar? I could not stand for that."

_So he'd been prepared for that question_, Scorpius thought to himself with an internal sigh. Now, if anyone questioned the validity of his testimony, they would be 'guilty' of calling a victim a liar, wouldn't they? _Just fucking perfect. _

"I see," Adrian said, simply. "I have only one more question. Isn't it true that Lord Voldemort, himself, taught you to resist the effects of Veritaserum?"

Scorpius nearly choked, wanting to shake the man's hand for having the balls to ask his father that question.

Draco didn't flinch, but anyone looking could see the hatred seething in his eyes. "Yes," he admitted. "It is true. But I have absolutely nothing to gain by lying, and I can assure you, my son has no such tolerance."

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That will be all," Pucey said, returning to his seat. The atmosphere in the courtroom had clearly changed, and not in Hermione's favor.

* * *

"Ms. Skeeter, thank you for joining us today," Entwhistle said, his tone much cheerier than it had been the day before.

"Happy to be of service," Rita said, batting her eyelashes around the room. She might have been nearing seventy, but she hadn't changed a bit since her days as the annoying reporter for _The Daily Prophet_.

"Ms. Skeeter, as I understand it, you have a history with Hermione Granger. Would you care to elaborate?" Entwhistle provoked.

"Of course," Rita said, sitting primly in her seat, a self-righteous air about her. Hermione wanted to gag.

"Well, you see, I first came into contact with her when Hogwarts hosted the Triwizard Tournament. That was more than twenty years ago now. My, the time certainly flies," she chuckled, but continued on. "At the time, she was juggling the Champions like it was an art. She had Harry Potter and Viktor Krum salivating all over her, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find she was working an angle on Cedric Diggory before that little Asian girl got to him..."

"Objection," Adrian cut in. "This is not only salacious libel, but it is completely irrelevant, not to mention mildly offensive."

The Minister of Magic paused for a moment before nodding his head. "Ms. Skeeter, you will stick to only what you know as fact," he said.

"Thank you, Minister," Entwhistle replied, turning back to Rita Skeeter. "Go on," he said, a kindly smile on his face that Hermione thought looked wildly out of place.

"By the end of the year, she was very upset with me. I was simply writing what I saw, what I was told, and what the people wanted to read. But she did not take it well. She found out I..." Rita Skeeter seemed to pause, and Hermione wondered if she'd really out herself to get revenge against her.

"It's okay, Ms. Skeeter. Nothing you say will be held against you," he assured her.

"Granger found out I was an unregistered Animagus. I've since registered, you know," she added quickly. "She used that information to blackmail me. She kept me imprisoned in a dirty jar for what seemed like an eternity. She got sick pleasure out of my misfortune and she enjoyed making me miserable. She's a devious, manipulative, and vindictive woman," Skeeter summarized.

There was a hush over the crowed and Entwhistle knew he had them where he wanted them when he pressed on, "Is that the only time she'd blackmailed you?"

"No," Skeeter answered, taking out a handkerchief and dabbing her dry eyes. "The following year, she blackmailed me again to do a story about Harry Potter for the ridiculous rag, _The Quibbler_. It ended up ruining my career, but what could I do? I was so scared. I wanted to register right away, but she made me believe that I would be thrown in Azkaban. I was never able to get any real work after that article."

"Ms. Skeeter," Entwhistle said, "would you say that the Hermione Granger you knew was different than the one being presented by the Defense?"

"Yes," Rita nodded emphatically.

Hermione wanted to punch her in the face. The stupid cow wasn't even a good actor, and still, she seemed to be winning over more and more support. This was bad.

"She is sadistic. The pleasure she gets from hurting others is not normal."

"Thank you," Entwhistle said. "That will be all."

Adrian stood up and asked just one question. "When you wrote those stories about Miss Granger during the Tournament, did you do so to hurt her?"

Skeeter answered, 'no', much to their dismay, but Hermione figured that just meant the old hag hadn't cared about anything at all but selling papers. The grudge didn't start until after Hermione found out her secret and put her in her place. She sighed. She was starting to feel a lot more depressed. Draco might have been able to lie on the stand, but Skeeter definitely didn't have that skill. Hermione's character was officially in question.

* * *

"But, you didn't hear the way they were muttering things about her, Pucey," Ron snapped, having escorted his children to their mother's lawyer's office that evening. Hermione was back in the safety of Ministry custody, but Rose had demanded an audience with Adrian Pucey, and Ron decided to see her to it. Hugo came along, needing to feel better after seeing the audience in the courtroom turn on Malfoy's testimony.

"We knew this would happen," Adrian reminded the upset family. "Weasley, you know as well as I that Draco is a slick git. He's lying through his teeth, but too few people remember the Malfoy of the past. We knew he'd be convincing. We just need Hermione's testimony tomorrow to be flawless. It will swing back to our favor," the solicitor assured them.

"But they didn't even care about the Veritaserum," Rose pointed out.

"And, again, we always knew that was possible," Adrian said, sighing. "The truth is, this case will come down on Scorpius' ability to fight -," he cut himself off looking at Ron and Hugo.

"No, tell them," Rose said. "What's the use of hiding it anymore? At the end of this trial, the truth will either come out or my mother will be locked in Azkaban for the rest of her life. What difference does it make now?"

"Tell us what?" Ron asked.

"You know something?" Hugo asked, his voice sounding betrayed.

Rose sighed, and Adrian pursed his lips before summing up the issue with Scorpius being under a heavy Compulsion Charm, placed on him by his father. He explained how family charms were not uncommon in Pureblood families, but they are often shrouded in such secrecy, and breaking them is nearly impossible.

"Sounds like a crock of bull to me," Hugo said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Sounds like he wants to make excuses for what he's done to her."

"But why would he?" Rose pointed out. "He has nothing to gain from making this up. If he really hated her enough to lie, why would he care what she thought of him? You didn't see them, Hugo. They are in love. He looks at her like Uncle Harry looks at Aunt Ginny. And with the bond between them, it must be hell..."

"The what?" Adrian asked. "Are you talking figuratively or literally?"

"Well," Rose said, looking guiltily at her family. "I guess the cat's out of the bag anyway, now."

"Rose, what are you talking about?" Ron asked, beginning to grow frustrated and confused.

"Mum and Scorp are married," Rose explained.

"WHAT?" Hugo and Ron shrieked in unison. Adrian's brow furrowed but he waited for his client's daughter to explain.

"Not actually 'married' per se," she said, shaking her head to collect her thoughts. "Hugo, you and I are recognized by the Malfoy Manor wards as family. The way it works is, whenever the Malfoy heir accepts someone as their true mate, they form an invisible bond. It is linked to the marriage ritual. According to Malfoy family history, the actual ritual is merely for show. Mum is Scorpius' chosen mate and from what I've read, it makes the separation from each other even harder."

"Wait, wait, wait," Hugo said, "back up. I'm a fucking Malfoy?"

"Language," Ron said instinctively, but his mind was elsewhere. He knew the secrets of Pureblood families, though his family never accepted them. He wondered how strong this bond was.

"Listen, it's like this," Rose began. "I first realized that I could get into Malfoy Manor without needing to break down the wards. This should have been impossible. Not even Al could get in the house without being escorted by Scorpius. I figured it was a fluke. Then Scorpius found something in his family diaries that explained that a chosen lover would become part of the family, and that their blood would be Malfoy blood from that point on. I didn't want to believe it either, but I swear it's true. Albus was there."

"Rose, I need you to tell me everything you know about this bond," Adrian said, speaking for the first time since Rose dropped the bomb.

"Let me just go to my flat and get the books I copied," she said, using Adrian's Floo.

"Do you think this is important?" Ron asked, finally finding his voice.

"It just might be the key to everything," Adrian said.


	24. Coactione Finite

**A/N: Okay guys, we are very close to the end. Just a chapter or two to go...But without further ado...**

**Coactione Finite**

* * *

**_Granger Trial Heats Up_**

_Yesterday, as key witnesses Draco Malfoy and Rita Skeeter took the stand to testify against Hermione Granger, things got heated in the courtroom. The 'distraught' father presented a calm demeanor as he enumerated the crimes he accuses Ms. Granger committed against his son. _

_Later, a simpering Rita Skeeter accused Ms. Granger of being manipulative and conniving, a thing that she is nearly alone in believing. As many might know, the odious 'journalist' and Hermione Granger have a complicated past. One where the older woman tried with all her might to have Granger painted the Hogwarts Harlot, and had to give up after failing miserably. _

_All in all, it was not a good day for Ms. Granger, as for the first time, public opinion swayed out of her favor. We'll just have to see how much the Wizengamot and Council were swayed. _

_Up next, the two testimonies that every one's been waiting for. Hermione Granger and Scorpius Malfoy. _

* * *

Hermione's eyes opened and closed slowly, over and over, as if Adrian's words would somehow make more sense if she kept blinking.

"Mum," Rose said nervously from her right. "Mum, are you okay?"

She was sitting in her dank cubicle of a room in Ministry custody. She'd actually planned to spend the evening wallowing in self-pity. It was better than being nervous about her testimony the next day. Or, what she was really worried about, Scorpius. Instead, her solicitor and children had come to her and proceeded to tell her the most unbelievable story imaginable. "Blood doesn't change," she finally said looking at Adrian. "This makes no sense."

"Blood has never mattered scientifically to Purebloods, Hermione," Adrian said. "Wards and bonds were based on a metaphysical idea of blood. If Purebloods had any idea the actual biology of blood, they would have given up blood prejudice a long time ago. Their familial bindings and understandings are entirely based on intent. Essentially, there is no need for a legal bond for the blood to recognize spouse.

"But, if this is true, then can't Astoria break the curse? Or has she just refused?" Hermione asked, not fully understanding.

"No," Adrian said. "When I found about the binding, I knew it had to be you. The head of the household trumps all others but one. The only person whose power is greater over Scorpius than Draco's is his wife's. Purebloods might be backward, but they've always respected the role of the wife."

"But how do you know?" Hermione said nervously. "I mean, what if..."

"Hermione, listen to me," Adrian said. "I know. Given the research Rose, Albus, and Scorpius have done, plus what I already know about the Malfoys and Pureblood society, I'm telling you, this will work."

"Mum, this will set you both free, why are you so hesitant to do it?" Rose asked, concern written on her face and she looked at her daughter with a sad smile.

"I'm not. I just don't want to have hope stripped away again. And I don't know what this bond will mean for all of us later," Hermione admitted.

"Mum, nothing's changed. You can do whatever you want after this mess is over. So can we. Don't worry about it. You have to get free for you and Scorpius to even have this conversation," Hugo pointed out.

Hermione sighed. It was true. As must as it hurt to think this might backfire, she had no other options, and it was hard to believe that three of the brightest recent graduates from Hogwarts would come to the same conclusion incorrectly. "Okay, but I don't want you involved," she said, frowning.

"Too bad," Rose huffed. "I promise not to get caught, but I'm going to get your wand, whether you like it or not. Albus and Teddy have already agreed to help."

"It is the only way, Hermione. I'm not able, given my position as your solicitor," Adrian pointed out.

Hermione frowned. Again, they were speaking reasonably, but she couldn't help but worry what would happen to her daughter if she got caught aiding a criminal and stealing from the Ministry. "Be careful," she finally said, knowing she'd never talk her daughter out of it. "And you," she said to Hugo, "are not going anywhere."

"Fine," he huffed. "I'll be with you in court," he promised. Though he was annoyed to be left out of the mission to retrieve his mother's wand.

"Okay," Adrian said, "are you sure you know what to do?"

"Yes," Hermione said, looking down at the parchment her daughter had handed her when they first walked in. The spell wasn't difficult, but it would determine the course of the rest of her life.

* * *

Scorpius vomited in the toilet for the second time that morning and groaned. "Wish I could fucking die," he muttered to himself, washing his mouth out before begrudgingly meeting his parents in the Floo room.

"Dear, what's wrong?" Astoria asked, her brow creased in worry.

Scorpius laughed humorlessly. "You've got to be kidding me," he snapped. "I don't know. Perhaps I'm about to testify against the woman I love, accusing her of vile things that are not true and I haven't any choice in the matter. Perhaps that's got me a little annoyed."

"Scorpius -," Draco started, but he was cut off immediately.

"Don't speak to me," Scorpius snapped. "Not today."

Draco sighed but said nothing more before shuttling his family into the Floo. The truth was, he couldn't wait until the day was over either. He had to get Granger out of their lives completely before he had any hope of getting Scorpius to trust him again.

Scorpius, for his part, walked through the corridors of the Ministry as quickly as possible. He wanted to get away, but the Compulsion Charm kept him walking toward the blasted courtroom that he'd been living in for the last week. It was an intensely uncomfortable feeling, having your soul desperately want to do one thing while your body and mouth did the exact opposite. He wondered how much this was like the Imperious Curse. Hermione had told him once about how it felt to be under one, but he hadn't been able to grasp what she meant.

As far as he was concerned, family Compulsion Charms should be ranked as high as Unforgivables. Taking someone's free will away was unforgivable. He stayed close enough to his parents to seem like he was with them, but no closer. Entering the courtroom, he took his usual seat and picked at his nails until the torture started. He was supposed to testify first. The fact that he hadn't found a way to break the curse only made him want to throw up again. He'd failed Hermione, and now he was going to put the final nail in her coffin.

* * *

"Did you get it, Al?" Rose hissed from outside the visitor's entrance of the Ministry of Magic.

"Yes, here," Al said, holding his father's invisibility cloak out to her.

"Okay, listen," Rose said, her no-nonsense tone out in full force. "You and I will be under the cloak," she told Albus. "Teddy is going to be our look out and create any distractions we need."

"I know, Rose," Al huffed. "In case you didn't remember, you told me the plan five hundred times last night."

Rose stamped her foot, reminiscent of Hermione when she was younger, and glared at him. "This is important, Al. Mum can't cast the spell without her own wand. With a bit of luck, most of the Ministry will be so interested in her trial they will have relaxed security around the confiscated wands. But we can't be too careful."

"Yes, mother. After you," he said sarcastically, holding up the Invisibility Cloak for her. Teddy watched as his girlfriend and her brother disappeared under Harry's cloak, and took a look around the corridor before making his way toward the security desk on the first floor.

* * *

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm very sorry about the circumstances that bring you before us today," Roger Entwhistle said. The grave tone of his voice hid the fact that his main goal was simply to 'bag a war hero,' and reserve his place in legal history. Scorpius said nothing. He couldn't say what he wanted, but he didn't have to lay it on thick like his father had, either.

"First, let me assure you that Hermione Granger cannot hurt you any longer. Please feel free to speak candidly," Entwhistle said. Scorpius just nodded stiffly against his will.

"Let us start at the beginning. When did you first meet Hermione Granger?" The solicitor asked.

"M-my fourth year," he answered, though he tried with all his might to remain silent at least. "After the leaving feast. She was there to speak with the Headmistress about something. I just happened to have been leaving the Headmistress' office at the time."

"And did she do or say anything strange at the time?" Entwhistle asked.

Scorpius pursed his lips. He would not speak anymore! Feeling his insides clinch he tried with all his might until... "At the time it didn't seem so," he burst out, digging his fingernails into his palms as he clinched his fists. "She seemed to look at me long and hard, but said nothing. After I went home for the summer, she sent me an owl."

"What was the message ?" Entwhistle asked.

Scorpius swallowed hard. _Fuck!_ He hated this. Giving in to the inevitable compulsion, he answered the question with the words his father had painstakingly crafted. "She told me that she found me attractive. That she wanted me, and sent me an explicit explanation of what she'd do if I agreed to be with her."

"And how did that make you feel? What did you think at the time?" Entwhistle asked. Like a dog with a bone, he was just beginning to get excited.

"I was fifteen. My hormones were racing. Of course I was interested," Scorpius answered.

His eyes darted to Hermione who was trying to show very little emotion. He knew her well enough to know that she had deliberately blanked her expression. He wondered if that was best for her case. She might have been doing it to make his testimony easier, but it didn't make her look innocent. He quickly looked back at the prosecuting solicitor and waited for his next question. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

* * *

Albus wondered for the hundredth time how his father managed to roam around Hogwarts under this blasted cloak along with Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. He and Rose were tripping over each other constantly.

"Okay," Rose said, we are coming close to the elevators."

Albus knew that already, but he remained quiet, knowing that arguing with his cousin was not going to help Scorpius or Hermione. He just quietly let Teddy shuttle them into the elevator and breathed a sigh of relief when he found it was empty.

"You guys go out first," Teddy said. "I'll do a sweep of the hallway and meet you near the security desk." Rose nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see her and clutched Albus' arm as she lead him out of the lift.

It was dim in the hall, which suggested this was not a regularly traveled corridor. Still, Rose and Albus could see a few Security Wizards lingering about. As they approached the desk, they noticed two guards behind the desk. Other than that, the whole area was deserted.

"Can I help you?" A tall broad wizard stood and greeted Teddy who approached the desk slowly.

Rose and Albus scanned the scene, trying to locate the confiscated wands. They knew from Adrian that there were three other people in Ministry detention besides Hermione. Other than that, there could be as many as 15 other witches or wizards who were subject to temporary confiscation of their wands.

Teddy engaged the guard in conversation by asking a slew of useless questions as Albus and Rose shifted around the desk to get a look at what was going on behind it. There was little there, two chairs for the guards and a little radio playing the world's worst wizarding rock music. There seemed to be nothing else until...

Albus' eyes caught it first. It was covered in a cloaking charm, but those were penetrable if one focused hard enough. He pointed to the shimmering magic surrounding what looked like a case that looked to be just about a foot-and-a-half long. Rose nodded at her cousin as she noticed it too. Moving forward she took a deep breath before lifting her wand and testing the wards around it.

* * *

Hermione's eyes glazed, but she did not let a single tear fall. If only she could have broken Draco's abominable spell before Scorpius had been subjected to this torture.

To the outside world, he looked scared and traumatized as he delivered his testimony. But to someone who knew him like Hermione did, he looked like he was caught between killing himself and vomiting down the front of his robes.

She wished she could reach out to him. Tell him that she didn't care what he said because they both knew it wasn't true. She wanted to reach out to him and promise him that she'd fix this, now that they had a solution. Unfortunately, all she could do was wait.

"Scorpius, please, tell me about the first time Hermione Granger used the Imperious Curse on you," Entwhistle questioned. It seemed he had a never-ending list of these damning questions, and with every one, Hermione plotted a more and more painful death for the disgusting man.

"I told her I didn't want to continue our relationship any longer. I was just out of Hogwarts and I wanted to live my life. She wouldn't let me, though," Scorpius said, dutifully.

"And she used the curse on you to make you do what?" the solicitor asked.

"To have sex with her. And to promise I wouldn't leave," Scorpius explained.

"And after that, what was the curse used for?"

"Sex. And then, to get me into art school. She wanted me to paint pictures that alluded to the war," Scorpius said.

Hermione sighed. It was really astounding how many holes were in the story. She assumed it was hard for Draco to concoct the perfect story when he only knew very few details.

"Did she ever tell you why?" Entwhistle asked.

"Yes," Scorpius said, pausing. Hermione knew he was trying to stop the compulsion. He'd been doing it the entire time, but she had a feeling no one else saw it that way.

"She said she wanted the Malfoy family to be exposed for what it really was. A bunch of Death Eaters."

There was a hushed gasp throughout the room as Hermione's 'true' motive became known for the first time. Hermione had to give Draco credit. At least he didn't try to make her out to be a Dark Witch. He probably recognized what an uphill battle that would be to prove. It also reflected his own insecurities about how he was seen in the Wizarding world.

"One more question," Entwhistle said. "About how much of the time did Hermione Granger keep you under the Imperious Curse for the last year of your relationship?"

"Nearly all of it," Scorpius choked.

"That is all," Entwhistle said smugly, and Hermione took a deep breath, glad that it was over.

"Any questions for the defendant?" the Minister asked Adrian.

"No. None at this time." Another gasp filled the room as they realized that Hermione's lawyer didn't even wish to cross-examine the star witness. What was going on?

* * *

"Do you feel something, boss?" The shorter guard asked the man who'd been patiently engaged in a barrage of questions by Teddy.

The bulky guard stopped and concentrated. "Buzzing," he muttered under his breath. "Magic," he explained, looking around. "Excuse me a moment, sir," he said to Teddy who bit his lip nervously.

Rose's brow began to sweat as she peeled ward after ward off the concealed box. Albus shifted nervously, knowing they didn't have unlimited time until the five guards on the floor realized someone was using magic. Rose knew it too, but she was concentrating all her attention on her task.

Suddenly a beeping caused both of them to jump and Rose shook her head to get her attention focused again.

Teddy began to panic. He could feel Rose's magic too now, only knowing it was Rose because of their intimate relationship. Still, security wizards should feel something. It was their job after all. Just as he was about to open his mouth in attempt to drive their attention away, the large guard smiled and sighed.

"One of the court rooms has let out," he explained. "I think it's that Granger woman's. It's full up to the gills. Most likely one of the spectators has wondered about. "McKinley, Evans, Bush, you three go see if the masses have gone too far out of bounds."

Teddy, Rose, and Albus all breathed a collective sigh of relief and Rose lifted the final ward from the box. The last thing was to lift the Concealment Charm and grab the wand, but she had to be quick, silent, and get out immediately. Her heart raced.

Albus gripped her hand knowing her dilemma. They waited until Teddy could distract the two remaining guards again.

"Actually," Teddy said, once the excitement died down. "I was thinking of becoming a security wizard. " Would you say the pay is good?"

As if he'd spoken the magic phrase, both guards began talking animatedly about the joys and benefits of their chosen profession. Teddy remained keyed into Rose's magic as he listened to the short one, named Eric, give him every reason why being a security wizard was actually a more honorable profession that being an Auror. The big one, Silas, agreed whole-heartedly.

Rose quickly moved the box under the invisibility cloak the second she uncovered it from its concealing charm and flicked it open, her heart racing the entire time. When she found twelve wands inside, she nearly cried in relief. She really didn't have the constitution for this kind of work.

Albus scanned the wands, trying to remember what his Aunt's looked like but couldn't quite remember. He knew it was vine, like his own, but not exactly what it looked like. He noticed Rose shifting through the wands determined, and felt his heart soar when she plucked one out that looked familiar. She broke into a smile as she held it up for him to see and then quickly set about replacing the box and reapplying all its charms.

Teddy had the guards on a roll now. A few of the other guards had even returned from their patrol of the floor and were adding their own opinions about how much they enjoyed their jobs. The moment he felt Rose's magic finish with the wards, he thanked the men for their kindness and excused himself, heading straight for the lift. He found it held open for him and nearly felt to his knees in relief when the doors shut and he saw Rose and Albus revealed before him with Hermione's wand.

* * *

Adrian breathed as sigh of relief as he felt Rose slip the wand into his back pocket as she passed by him in Hermione's waiting room. "Thank you," he breathed.

"No, thank you," Rose said earnestly.

"Alright," Adrian addressed the room full of Hermione's supporters who'd gathered around her to give her comfort after Scorpius' damning testimony. Only Rose, Albus, Hugo, and Ron knew that they had a plan, and the rest of the supporters looked at Hermione like she'd already been sentenced to Azkaban. "Please, let me have a moment with my client before we go back in," he said. Everyone nodded and agreed, each shuffling out of the room after bidding Hermione good luck.

"So, it worked," Hermione pointed out.

"Yes," Adrian informed her, walking up to her and slipping her own wand into the sleeve of her robe. "They got it. And now you'll be able to fix this."

Hermione sighed with relief as she felt her wand greet her. She'd missed it. She didn't even realize how much until she had it back. "Let's do this."

* * *

Hermione sipped the Veritaserum before patiently waiting for Adrian to begin his questioning. They'd already agreed to have her tell her side of the story before attempting to break the spell. At the very least, if it didn't work, she'd have it out there.

"Under Veritaserum, Miss Granger, can you tell me when you first met Scorpius Malfoy?" Adrian asked.

Hermione went on to answer every question easily and gracefully as they worked through the real time line of what happened and what was true. She explained how Scorpius was interested in art long before he met her and that she'd only even been to one of his art functions. She even laughed at the accusation that she was using Dark Magic and the Imperious Curse.

She was charming and believable, and her entourage began to notice some confusion in the audience as well as the deciding body. How could two so different accounts be truthfully rendered by two different people under Veritaserum?

"One last question, Miss Granger," Adrian said. "How do you explain the accusations against you? You are obviously under the truth serum. You know yourself to be innocent, how then could the Malfoys bring this case against you?"

Hermione took a deep breath and looked at Scorpius who looked right back at her. "I believe Scorpius is being forced into his testimony," she said simply and loud gasp took over the room. Muttering ascended and it took the Minister of Magic three whacks of the gavel to bring order to the courtroom again.

"Objection!" Entwhistle cried. "She has no right to make accusations like that! This is preposterous."

"I merely asked her opinion, Minister," Adrian answered smoothly. "She has the right to explain how she believes she was accused of such high crimes."

"I'll let it stand for now. This had better be going somewhere, Mister Pucey," the Minister warned.

"Certainly, sir," Adrian said, taking a deep breath. He turned back to Hermione and gave her a slight nod.

Hermione rose suddenly. It was sheer luck that the witness platform had no enchantments holding her down. She did the best magic while standing and she didn't want to take a chance now.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing?" The Minister cried. She ignored him though, and in one deft movement slipped the wand from her sleeve and pointed it at Scorpius' head. He stared back, confused and shocked, but not scared.

Scorpius stared into her hazel eyes and read hope. He prayed to God she'd found a way to break the spell because if not, she was looking at even more criminal charges. _Please, Hermione. Please, don't make this be for nothing_, he thought as her wand pointed towards him.

"_Vinculi matrimonialis frangit parentalis vinculo. Coactione finite," _she cried, her voice deeper, as it always was when she cast a spell.

A bright red light spewed forth from the tip of her wand, only a shade off from the standard _Stupefy_ as Scorpius watched it approached him. He heard his father cry out, but he was utterly transfixed by the spell that was headed his way. He felt a cool sensation, warming slower and slower as the spell washed over him and his head clouded. He felt Hermione all around him. He felt her in a way he hadn't since before this entire thing started. His senses were no longer dulled, his compulsion to stay away gone. _Wait!_ He blinked rapidly and shook his head trying to regain his composure. The compulsion was gone. He could feel it in his bones. If he wanted to, he could sweep her into his arms at any moment.

Looking up, he was horrified to find her being manhandled by two security wizards as they wrenched her wand from her hand. "STOP!" he cried. "Leave her alone!"

His heart was racing as he pushed past his parents, and through the throng of people panicking that Hermione Granger had finally gone round the twist and was going to kill them all. He moved past the solicitors' tables and toward the witness stand where Hermione had stopped her struggling and looked back at him. "She's telling the truth," he cried.

The security guards held her tight and looked up to the Minister for instruction.

"What are you saying, young man? Are you admitting that you lied to this court?" The Minister asked, his tone grave.

"Yes," he said. "I lied. It was all made up. She did nothing."

"What did she cast on you, boy?" The Minister asked, suspiciously.

"She just set me free. Listen, I swear, before Merlin that my testimony was false. You can give me the Veritaserum now and it will prove to you..."

"We already gave you Veritaserum, if you recall," The Minister said, testily.

"Scorpius, tell them," Adrian said from somewhere behind him, and he knew he only had once chance to get this right.

"Scorpius, you're making a fool of yourself," his father spat, but that only increased his resolve.

"Please, just let her go," Scorpius said. "She did nothing wrong. I lied, but I did so because I had no choice. My father compelled me to say those things about her, and his spell overrode the Veritaserum. All she did was set me free and break the curse. You can test her wand; you'll find no Dark Magic there."

Hermione sagged with relief as the truth finally came out. She couldn't even will herself to care if they believed at the moment. All she cared about was that Scorpius was free and the truth was out.

"Surely, Minister, you can't possibly believe that," Draco said, his tone condescending even in the face of what he'd done.

The Minister looked confused about what to do for several moments before finally saying. "I need a recess. Please take Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger into detention until we can work out what has happened."

Before the new crop of guards could get hold of him, Scorpius lunged toward Hermione and pulled her face into his, kissing her desperately for the first time in months. The crowd went mad, but neither of them seemed to notice.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too, Scorp."


	25. Reunited

**A/N: Whew! We are at the end (only an Epilogue to go!). Thank you all so much for sticking with me. I hope you enjoy! Another special thank you to my beta who is amazing! Rusty Weasley. **

* * *

**Reunited **

"That fucking bitch!" Draco snarled for what seemed like the one-hundredth time.

Astoria rolled her eyes and huffed. "Honestly, Draco," she said. "What did you expect? That this would work forever?"

"I didn't hear you complaining!" Draco snapped.

"I didn't want her in the family, that's for sure," Astoria said. "But it seems I can't do anything about it now. She wormed her way in, and now you have two options. You can beg for mercy when they eventually come to arrest you, or you can continue to throw a tantrum, like a child."

Draco stopped pacing and stared at his wife. "You are just going to give in to having that woman as your 'daughter in law'? She's older than _you_ for Merlin's sake!"

"Draco, what can I do? Either I lose my son, or I hold onto principle and let you drag me down with you. This isn't like you. Above all else, you've always put the preservation of our name first, until this debacle with Hermione Granger. Why are you so obsessed with _her?" _Astoria asked, finally voicing the question she'd had for several weeks. Draco's mouth opened and he gaped at her life a fish.

"Something isn't right, Draco. You and I both know it. You've gone overboard in your attacks on her. First, you bent over backward getting backers for her stupid medical ward, and then you got such joy out of destroying the plans. Tell me, what the hell is your issue with her? She's a Mudblood, but other than that, I see no reason for your obsession."

"Obsession?" Draco scoffed, sounding offended.

"Yes. It's almost like you are compelled to hate her, or something." Astoria muttered.

* * *

"How is it, Mister Malfoy, that you have delivered two completely contradictory testimonies under Veritaserum?" the older Auror asked him.

"I've told you. The family Compulsion Charm my father put me under overrides Veritaserum as well as Legilimency. When Hermione broke it, I was able to tell the truth, but not before then. I swear to you," Scorpius explained again.

"What was the spell Ms. Granger cast upon you? I've never heard it before."

"It is unique to the charm. Because she is my wife, at least according to the magic of my family, she was able to break the spell," Scorpius answered.

"We'll need to keep you for observation. We have no way of knowing if this spell was simply a Dark incantation used to make you do her will," the Auror explained.

"What do I have to do to convince you? I swear to you it's not a Dark spell. You _should_ be questioning my father. He might be immune to Veritaserum, but he was never all that skilled at Occlumency," Scorpius offered.

"That is a restricted art," the Auror snapped before turning to leave the room. Scorpius just rolled his eyes. These law enforcement types would never learn. Sometimes you have to break the rules if you want to get all the information you need.

He stretched his arms over his head, trying to relieve some of the tension there. Honestly, now that the truth was out, he just wanted to hold Hermione and bury himself inside her as soon as possible. He never really considered that the great minds of the Ministry would think she'd cast a Dark Spell on him.

With a sigh, he leaned back and relaxed. From what he knew of bureaucracy, it could be a long afternoon.

* * *

"How did you get your wand?" Hermione's old friend Auror Densler asked.

She said nothing, biting her lip. She wished she'd been kept in the dark about the mission to retrieve her wand. When the Auror eventually fed her Veritaserum, she'd have to implicate her daughter and the thought made her stomach do flips.

"Fine, drink this," Densler sighed, bored with the conversation.

"I don't see where it matters. You have the evidence you need proving my innocence," Hermione said, eyeing the vial of clear liquid.

"It matters because _someone_ bypassed security and stole Ministry property, aiding a Ministry detainee," he said matter-of-factly.

"It was _my _property actually, and it was necessary to free Scorpius from a curse worse than the Imperius," Hermione snapped.

"Drink. It."

Hermione took a deep breath and did as she was told, dreading his first question.

"Where did you get your wand?" He asked again, a smug tone in his voice that made her want to punch him in the face.

"Adrian gave it to me," she said, knowing that Adrian would likely be in trouble, but it was true and it would keep Rose out of trouble if he didn't dig any deeper.

"And do you know how he got it?"

"Yes," Hermione bit out.

"How?"

Hermione bit her lip so hard she thought it would bleed. She had to fight the urge. She had to. Her mouth was opening and shutting as she tried desperately to keep the words in her mouth until...

"Densler," Harry's voice barked from the door that just clanked open. "I've got it from here."

"No way. You are on leave. Besides, she's your friend. There is no way Russet authorized this!" Auror Densler shouted.

"Wrong. He ended my leave and assigned me to Ms. Granger. It seems he, unlike you, was pretty convinced by Scorpius Malfoy's story," Harry said.

Hermione could have kissed him. Would he ever stop being her knight in shining armor?

"This isn't over," Densler growled, but Hermione wasn't sure if he was speaking to her or Harry. He stomped out of the room like a petulant child and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm under Veritaserum," she said, not knowing what else to say.

"I know. I wanted to keep the kids out of this," he said cryptically. Hermione assumed that meant there were recording devices in the room. "How did you find out about the spell?"

"Rose, Scorpius, and Albus worked out the fact that Scorpius and I are bonded. From there, Adrian knew what to do. It was an old pureblood spell, specific to Malfoys. The only people who could break the Compulsion Charm on Scorpius were the head of the house, or his wife," Hermione explained.

"You," Harry clarified.

"So it seems," Hermione replied.

"Holy fuck, Hermione," Harry said, running his hands through his hair.

"Language, Auror Potter," she said, smirking at him. He grinned back. "So, does everyone think I've cast more Dark Spells on Scorp, or are some of the esteemed Aurors working with a full deck now?"

"Public opinion mostly falls with you," Harry explained. "From what I could tell, most of the Wizengamot believes as well. The Council of Law Enforcement is split. They just don't know what to think. The Aurors are mostly coming around, though. Only Densler, and a few others who have a personal problem with _me,_ are determined to prove you're guilty as sin."

"I see," Hermione said. "Well, that's better than I thought, to be honest. Is Scorpius okay?"

"Yes," Harry said. "They are treating him like a hurt puppy mostly. Although, the fact that his father fled the scene should be an indicator that Scorpius might be telling the truth."

"You'd think," Hermione said.

"You aren't going to Azkaban, Hermione. I'll make sure of that."

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said. "Just keep the kids out of it too, please."

"Of course."

* * *

It hit her all at once. The thought entered her head and the second she thought of disregarding it, was the moment she realized it was the absolute truth. "Draco, look at me," she said softly.

"Do you even know why you hate her so much?" she asked, the judgment in her voice gone. Her husband had been driving her nuts ever since Hermione Granger had returned to his life months ago, and now it seemed so clear.

"I - well, she's vile," he said indignantly. "And she'll ruin his life, you know. She can't give him anything he needs," she nodded absently at him as she reached for her wand.

"_Vinculi matrimonialis frangit parentalis vinculo. Coactione finite," _she breathed, both hoping she was right, and horrified about what would happen if she were. The color that erupted from her wand was not the same color that she'd seen come from Granger's in the courtroom. It was a deeper red, almost burgundy, and it hit a stunned Draco squarely in the chest.

His eyes widened and he hunched over to catch his breath and she bit the inside of her lip waiting...waiting. "Draco," she said, trying to keep as calm as possible as she saw him start shaking.

He groaned and fell back against the wall behind him, letting it take on his weight as her spell settled through him. "That bastard!" he finally cried out, looking up at his wife with tears lingering in the corners of his eyes.

"What happened?" Astoria asked, almost afraid to know. Whatever it was, it had shocked her husband to his core.

Draco took two long deep breathes. He couldn't believe it. All this time, all these years, he'd been pushed in a certain direction all because of one stupid mistake. As he looked back on his actions over the last year, in particular, he felt deep shame and incredible rage at both himself and his father.

"My father made me do it," he said.

"What do you mean?" Astoria asked. Lucius had been dead for years. What could he have compelled Draco to do from the grave?

Draco stood up a bit straighter and moved to the couch in the center of the room inviting Astoria to join him. She did, readily, and waited for him to explain what was wrong, and why he only could remember it after she lifted the spell.

"When I was in my Fourth Year of Hogwarts, I developed a...crush, I guess, on Hermione Granger," Astoria fought the urge to scoff, but her eyes hardened against her will.

"It was nothing, Stori," Draco said, his voice sounding calm for the first time in a long while. "It was that stupid Yule Ball, and she was with Krum. You know how it is. Guys are always drawn to what other guys want. She looked beautiful that night. If you'd seen her, you'd have agreed. And so, I developed an innocent crush, which haunted me the rest of the year."

"Okay," Astoria said. "And now?"

"Of course not, now. I love you. I know we were dragged into this marriage against both of our wills, but I've come to love you, and I thought you knew that well enough by now," Draco said, his tone soft, almost pleading.

Astoria swallowed hard but nodded her head. She wasn't accustomed to grand displays of affection, nor was she accustomed to Draco's freely offering them. Still, she felt pleased to hear the words. "But I'm confused. This still doesn't explain why you took such exception to her, even before Scorpius got involved with her. And it certainly doesn't explain why you never told me this even though I asked you no fewer than one-hundred times why she got under your skin."

"But it does," Draco said, hanging his head as if he were ashamed. "That summer, the Dark Lord returned, I think you'll remember. My father was on edge because his loyalty was being tested. Every little thing set him off," Draco shivered remembering that first year of the Dark Lord's return. It hadn't been anything like his parents promised it would be.

Astoria just nodded and listened, waiting for him to get to his point. "I'm not proud of it, but one day in mid-July, I can remember it so clearly now," he began absently. "My father found me - uh, well, I was masturbating," the both blushed scarlet at his words, never being the type of married couple to discuss sex outside of the bedroom, "to a picture of Granger from the _Prophet_."

Astoria gasped in horror and Draco moved quickly to do damage control. "I swear it meant nothing. Even you have to admit she's attractive. I was fifteen. I never would have done anything with her. She's a Mudblood. But it was a fantasy, and he caught me."

Astoria tried to wrap her head around what he was saying, but the truth was, she was very old fashioned. She'd been raised to save her body, in every way, for her husband, and to let him get whatever pleasure from her that he wanted. She was lucky enough that Draco was always a gentle and caring lover, but the idea of him having sexual fantasies about a Mudblood, even if it was over twenty years ago, was a hard pill to swallow.

"When he caught me, he beat me," Draco said. "And then he used the Compulsion Charm on me. That was the first time. Not the time he used it to make me take the Dark Mark."

"But why didn't you say anything about this before?" Astoria asked.

"Because I didn't remember. He compelled me to never interact with her again, unless it was to hurt her. He compelled me to endeavor to make her life harder than it needed to be. And then he compelled me to forget I was ever attracted to her or that he'd compelled me in the first place," Draco explained. "When you broke the charm, it came flooding back to me all at once."

"So, you offered to take on her project just to sabotage it?" she asked.

"Yes," Draco said. "And when I saw her with our son, I wanted her dead, deep inside. Now, though...Honestly, I don't know what I want. I'll never like the woman. There is too much bad blood, and besides, she an annoying swot. But Scorpius loves her. He really does, and I just don't have any idea what to do," Draco said, sighing with defeat.

"We go to the Ministry and tell them the truth," Astoria finally said. "If you submit to Legilimens, and show them your memories, they will realize this was not your fault. More than that, we can try to have a relationship with our son, who I have missed greatly. I don't like Granger either, but she's part of his life now."

"You say all of this like it's so easy," Draco said.

"No, but it's what has to be done," Astoria replied.

* * *

"They're free," a gruff voice called into Scorpius' interrogation room. The Auror in front of him furrowed his brow and got up to investigate. Scorpius couldn't hear what was being said but when the Auror turned around, he had his wand with him, and handed it over.

"You are free to go," he said.

"What?" Scorpius asked. "What about Hermione?"

"Your girlfriend is being freed as well," he said impatiently. "Seems your Daddy confessed."

"He what?" Scorpius nearly screeched. His head was swimming. He felt like he was in a dream. No way in hell did Draco Malfoy confess to something like this. He got no response to his question. The Auror just walked out of the room seemingly annoyed to have lost his case.

He didn't have time to think about it, though. He had to find Hermione. Once he got his wits about him, he stood up and dashed from the room, having no idea where to start. He internally thanked Merlin when he ran directly into Harry Potter. "Where is she?" he asked, knowing the older man would know.

Harry smiled warmly at him and extended his arm toward the room he'd just exited. When Scorpius peered inside, he saw Hermione standing before him, holding her wand, and looking more relaxed than he'd seen her since he was ripped away from her by his father months before.

"Hermione," he breathed, but he wasn't sure if he actually made an intelligible word or just a longing groan.

She smiled brightly at him and he couldn't help but smile back. "Do you know what your father told them?" she asked, walking closer.

"No," he shook his head. "I don't care, as long as you're free."

"It's over," Hermione said, a shuddering breath leaving her as she approached. Neither of them noticed Harry watching them. It was as if they were in their own world.

"It's over," he repeated.

"Oh Scorpius," Hermione finally cried, pulling him into her and her head was on his chest instantly.

"Thank Merlin for Adrian Pucey," was all he could say. His emotions were all over the place and at the moment, he really only wanted one thing.

"Hermione," Harry called quietly from behind him. "I'm going to finish up here and then rally the troops. I'm sure they will want to see you as soon as possible."

"Of course," Hermione said, not moving an inch from her place in Scorpius' arms. "Tell them I need a little time, but I'll come around this evening."

"Okay," Harry smiled. "I'll see you then."

Hermione smiled as she looked up at Scorpius and squeezed him tighter. "Let's go home," she said.

"I don't know if I still have a home," he quipped.

"Of course you do. With me," she said. "I'm your wife, aren't I?"

"About that. I don't want you to feel obligated or anything..." Scorpius started and she just laughed.

"Shut up, before you start to sound ridiculous," she said, slapping him on the chest. "You know I don't want anyone but you. After these last months, I could care less what we call it."

Scorpius chuckled. "Okay, love. Let's go home."

Hermione grinned up at him, feeling lighter than she had since the entire nonsense with the Ministry started, and reached down to clutch his hand, dragging him toward the public Floo. He lengthened his stride to keep up and soon they were falling gently onto the floor of the main room of Hermione's flat.

"Come here," she panted, pulling his head down, and capturing his lips in an intense and fiery kiss.

"Fuck, I've missed you," he moaned against her mouth as he crushed her body to his. "It's been torture."

"It's over now," Hermione assured him, pulling him back to her and kissing him again as she slowly began to walk them back toward her bedroom. "I can't wait any longer," she panted, hoping he felt the same way.

"Me either," he agreed following her quickly down the hall and to the bedroom he'd missed so much. "We've got months to make up for." Hermione just nodded and pulled him by the front of his shirt into her, knocking them both onto the bed in a heap.

Hermione's legs wrapped around him tightly as she pulled him into her, fearing he'd be gone again. "I love you," she said, feeling monetarily silly that it took her so long to figure out her feelings for this man.

"I love you too," he said, kissing her once more as his hand wandered to the front of her shirt and his deft fingers begin unbuttoning it slowly.

"Faster," she moaned grinding her hips into him. She was wet from the anticipation, and she could feel how hard he was against the inside of her thigh. It had been too long and she needed this too much.

"We have all afternoon," Scorpius replied.

"Later. I need you right now," Hermione panted, pulling at his shirt and wrenching it over his head. "Please," she pleaded, looking into his eyes and he could never deny her anything when she looked at him like that.

Quickly he finished with her buttons, moaning as he pulled her shirt off and saw her perfect skin once more. Her bra was next to go, and he wasted no time before dropping onto his elbows and taking one pert nipple into his mouth. He moaned against her, tasting her and possessing her. She was his, and always would be. He didn't know when he'd become such a sap, but he didn't even care anymore. All that existed was her.

"Scorp," she moaned, her voice breathy and needy. It was a sound that always made his cock pulse. He thrust against her trying to relieve the tension to no avail.

"Fuck," he sighed, pulling away from her long enough to work at the side zipper of her skirt. She'd already gotten him unbuttoned and unzipped by the time he pushed the offending garment down her perfect legs.

It was a fury of motion as they both worked to get the other completely naked until Scorpius was lying cradled between Hermione's legs, her pussy dripping onto his cock. "Please," she moaned, her breath coming out in a harsh pant. "Please, fuck me!"

Scorpius groaned at her words and shifted his hips slightly until her plunged into her in one smooth stroke. "Merlin!" he sighed, feeling her tight wetness grip his shaft. Fuck, he could live inside her.

"Scorp, please," she whined, her nails digging into the skin of his back, and as she looked up into his eyes she could see the intense love that had once scared her. Now, it made her feel safe and whole.

She'd waited for his moment for so long and feared she'd never have it. She shifted her hips to meet him thrust for thrust as he started his slow pace. "Faster," she begged, unable to deal with slow lovemaking. Over the course of the evening, she was sure they'd have time for it, but at the moment, she needed him hard and fast. She wanted to feel his heart pound and hear his skin slapping against hers.

"I want it to last," he panted against her and she pulled his neck down to catch his mouth in hers.

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised, looking up at him seriously. "We have plenty of time. But I need this. I need to come. I need it," she said, as calmly as she could with the emotions overwhelming her.

Scorpius nodded and picked up the pace knowing he needed it as much as she did. He simply didn't want to let her go. Gripping her hips he plunged in and out harder and faster, eliciting sexy moans and groans from her as she gripped him tighter with each stroke. He knew she was close. He was ready to come at any moment.

"Gonna come," Hermione slurred, biting her lip as she arched her back and rolled her hips. He thought he'd die from ecstasy.

"Me too. Come for me," Scorpius choked out increasing speed and deftly tweaking her clit with the pad of his thumb.

"FUCK!" Hermione cried, her body stilling as her pussy contracted around him as he continued to thrust.

"HERMIONE!" he cried out coming deep inside her as her walls pulsed around him. He collapsed on top of her, letting their bodies tangle together as they both tried to reach their equilibrium.

"I thought I'd never have this again," Hermione finally said, her voice soft and pained, almost like she was holding back tears. Scorpius kissed her shoulder but said nothing. "I was scared of Azkaban. I won't lie. I was really scared. But what scared me the most was that I didn't have you anymore."

"You always had me, Hermione," Scorpius said, looking up. "It will take time for us to come to terms with all this, but I'm not going anywhere. I never left you. I never will leave you. I wasn't looking for you when we met, but you are the best thing that ever happened to me."

Hermione smiled warmly down at him. "I love you too, Scorp," she said, kissing him gently on the mouth before beginning a path of kisses down his torso, over his stomach, and to the tip of his cock. He groaned in satisfaction. Neither of them wanted to leave the bed for a long time.


	26. Epilogue

**A/N: FINALLY! So sorry guys. It took me forever to wrap this one up. But I've finally finished and here you go! I hope you enjoy. Who knows what my next story will be. Always up for suggestions and requests. :) **

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Ten Years Later..._

Hermione squared her shoulders and gave herself a final pep talk before knocking on the large wooden door in front of her. She fidgeted as she waited, nervous about the meeting she'd been planning for over a year.

Her breath caught in her throat when Draco Malfoy opened the door. There was a confused look on his face before his mouth dropped open in shock. "Granger?" he finally said.

"Malfoy, now," she croaked, barely finding her voice.

"Right, of course," Draco said, shaking his head as if to try and wrap his mind around it.

"May I come in?" she asked, her voice clearer as she took in the sight of the man she hadn't seen in ten years. He still looked remarkably beautiful, as always. The older her own husband became, the more he looked like the man in front of her, but that didn't bother her, Scorpius was so much more than Draco had ever been.

"Of course," he said, moving aside and extending his arm to invite her in. "Shall I get Astoria?"

"Please," Hermione said politely, looking around. She had expected a servant to open the door, not Draco. When Scorpius' parents left England to take up residence in their Roman estate, she assumed they continued to live in the lap of luxury, ordering servants around and acting as if life were a vacation. The elder Malfoy had been forced out at his own company after the embarrassing fallout from the trial so many years ago, but they were still living off the massive fortune the Malfoy family had acquired over the centuries.

Draco nodded politely to her before leaving to find his wife. Hermione noticed the house was nice, but it was not nearly as ornate as the Manor had been before Rose and Teddy had moved into it. Scorpius had insisted and Rose finally accepted the new home, knowing that it would be a great place to raise a family.

"Hermione," Draco's voice pulled her out of her internal thoughts and she nearly gasped at his use of her first name. She guessed calling her 'Malfoy' would be very odd. She turned to find Draco and Astoria looking at her apprehensively and she tried her best to smile. She was here for a reason, and she didn't want to make things more difficult than need be.

"I came to speak with you both, if that's okay," she said.

"Of course," Astoria answered, concern in her eyes. "Is Scorpius okay?"

"Fine," Hermione answered quickly. "He's fine."

"Let's go into the parlor, shall we?" Draco directed and she followed the two into a comfortable sitting room where she sat and waited for them to get situated.

"Would you like some tea?" Astoria asked. It was so strange to be treated this way in the Malfoy's home. Still, they'd done nothing to her yet, and she was determined to give them the benefit of the doubt.

"No thank you," Hermione said. "I don't want to worry you. That's not why I'm here. I've been contemplating visiting you for years. More seriously over the last year," she said, clearing her throat nervously.

"I know that what happened with the curse and the trial was not really your fault. Seeing Scorpius under that compulsion charm, I know you had no control over yourself when it came to...me," she said, averting her eyes. "I think I've known it since the moment we found out the truth, but Scorp and I were so hurt. And I'd been so angry with you..." she let herself trail off.

Looking up at the Malfoys, she saw them both listening intently to her, no malice on their faces. "I need to explain this. I need to get it off my chest because the guilt is killing me. I never took the initiative to get Scorpius to change his opinion. I never forced him to give you the benefit of the doubt, and as his wife, I should have."

"Hermione," Astoria interrupted. "After what happened to you, you'd have to be a saint to want us back in your life."

Hermione's eyes snapped up to the other woman. "But I knew I should have helped Scorpius forgive you, and I held onto my hate anyway," she breathed.

"I know that feeling, Gran…Hermione," Draco said. "Do you know how long I hated you even before my father cast that spell on me? I didn't have a good reason to hate you, but it didn't change the fact that my hate was real, and strong. I've hated so many things. The hate blinded me. I didn't even realize it. I was so selfish. You know, during the war, I switched sides for myself, not for anyone else. I see how wrong I have been about everything for all those years."

Hermione was shocked. "That's-that's very insightful, Draco," she said.

"Yeah, we'll I've had ten years to think on it," Draco shrugged. "I ruined my family. I lost my only son. It's too late. I get that. But I can only try to live my remaining years better than my previous ones."

Astoria took her husband's hand and continued. "I'm more to blame than Draco. I wasn't compelled. I thought such terrible things of you just because of who your parents were. Status was everything to me. I thought you'd ruin my son. That was all me. No spells, nothing. I'm deeply ashamed of how I acted, of what I thought. Now that my son is gone, I can't believe I would have thrown our relationship away for something so trivial."

Hermione looked between them both, trying to find any signs of insincerity, but she saw none. These were different people. They were people who'd lost everything they held dear and had to pick up the pieces and find their way on their own. She wanted to cry.

"It might not be too late," she whispered.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"Well," Hermione began. "I have a plan, but Scorp will probably kill me..."

* * *

"SURPRISE!" The room cried and Scorpius laughed nervously as he saw all the closest people in his life gathered in the Manor's ballroom.

"Surprised?" Hermione beamed at him.

"Yes," he grinned back.

"I'm so glad you didn't find out. I thought for sure Al would tell you!" Hermione said.

"No," Scorpius said. "Though it probably killed him to keep a secret."

"Probably," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come, say hi to everyone and then I've got a surprise."

Hermione waited nervously as her husband greeted his guests. There was a very good chance he'd be screaming at her soon, but she knew this was important. Life was too short for grudges, and she wanted her husband to be free of the one he still carried.

"Where's my birthday surprise?" Scorpius' husky voice asked as he wrapped both arms around her from behind.

"Promise me something," Hermione said, turning around to look at him seriously.

"Anything," he replied easily.

"No matter what, you will keep and open mind, and you won't get mad at me," Hermione said.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "This doesn't sound like a very good birthday present."

"Please, just promise me, Scorp," she pouted.

"Okay, I promise," he said, intrigued and a bit nervous about whatever she had planned.

"Follow me," Hermione said, taking his hand and leading him from the room. She quickly moved through the now-familiar halls and to the private sitting room near the gardens.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath, "Please just remember I love you, and I did this for you."

"Okay, Hermione. You are freaking me out now," Scorpius said.

"Here goes," Hermione said, ignoring him. She opened the door and pulled her husband inside to the room where Draco and Astoria Malfoy had been waiting for almost a half and hour.

"What the fuck is this, Hermione?" Scorpius' icy voice nearly growled.

"You promised to keep an open mind," she reminded, looking up at her husband. He didn't look amused.

"My fucking parents, Hermione. I don't want them here. I don't want them near me or you. Get them out of here," he said, pulling his arm out of hers.

"Scorpius Malfoy, stop right there," Hermione said, stamping her foot. "This is important to me and it's important to them, and it's important for you. Now stop acting like a pouting child and come sit with us like adults,"

He stopped in his tracks and looked at her, for a moment, like he'd been betrayed. But it was short lived. He knew that she meant well. "Fine," he said. "But then I want them gone."

'Whatever you want," Hermione said, taking his hand again and leading him over to the loveseat across from his parents.

"Sorry for the surprise," Astoria said nervously as she took in her son. He looked so different. She hated to think how he got that metal bar in his eye. His clothes looked like they belonged to a homeless person. Still, these were not the things that were important. He was her son, and she loved and missed him.

"Whatever," he said.

"How have you been?" his mother asked.

"Well," he said, stiffly. "Married a Mudblood, as you can see."

"Scorpius, please," Hermione pleaded.

"It's not right to say things like that in front of your wife, Scorpius," Draco said. His tone wasn't chastising though, just very sad. Scorpius just snorted.

There was an awkward silence and Hermione realized that she was going to have to steer this whole thing in the right direction. "Scorp, I went to your parents last month. I've felt so guilty for how we've cut them out of our lives and..."

"Guilty?" Scorpius snapped. "They had you locked up. They accused you of vicious crimes. He took my free will! Why the hell do you feel guilty?"

"Because he was compelled, Scorp. And no matter what you say, they are your parents. We never even gave them a chance to explain," Hermione said.

"To be fair," Draco started, "right after I turned myself in, we still weren't in a place to understand your relationship. We were raised in such a harsh way. We didn't understand anything but our own narrow view. We see our errors now."

"Oh, and I'm just supposed to believe you," Scorpius scoffed. "Try to ruin my life, and ten years later you realize it was a mistake. Great! Congrats."

"It's not like that," Hermione admonished. "Don't you miss them? You loved them once. I know you did."

"And they betrayed me," Scorpius said. Hermione was about to defend the Malfoys again but Draco spoke first.

"You are right. We did. Regardless of the compulsion my father put on me, we made endless mistakes. I wasn't the best father. Hell, I wasn't even a good one. I could only be what I was taught to be. But I never stopped loving you. I always loved you. I wanted to be closer. I wanted to understand you. But I didn't know how!"

"Scorpius," Astoria said, sniffling slightly. "We love you. We showed it in the worst ways, but we do love you."

Scorpius said nothing but Hermione could tell he was thinking. His eyes bore a hole into the floor as his fingers rubbed patterns into the arm of the loveseat. "Why now?" He said to no one in particular.

"What, babe?" Hermione asked.

"Why now?" he said, looking up at her. "I've been fine all these years. Why bring all of this up now?"

"Because you aren't fine," Hermione said. "You love them. And it hurts you, I know it. You know it too."

He looked at her for a long moment until his eyes softened. Sighing he looked back to his parents. "Do you want to join the party?"

"Uh," Draco said, inelegantly.

"Well, are you sure?" Astoria asked.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Scorpius said. "I want it left in the past. I don't trust you, but maybe I can learn to. I don't see any reason to rehash things. You know how I feel. I just want to move forward."

"I can live with that," said Draco.

Hermione smiled brightly. "Not mad at me are you?" she asked.

Scorpius pursed his lips. "How can I be? I promised, didn't I?"

"Very true," Hermione smiled. "Come, let's get to the party. It's not every day Scorpius Malfoy turns 30!"

* * *

"Oh, angry painting, I see..." Hermione said with a fake pout on her lips as she stood in the doorway of Scorpius' studio later that night. He'd run off not long after the party and she'd wisely given him the space he needed. She knew he understood why she'd arranged to have his parents attend the party, but she still had to tread lightly.

Scorpius pulled the earphones from his ear and sighed. "Not angry. Intense," he clarified.

"And what is this intensity all about?" she asked, moving close to him and slowly wrapping both arms around him from behind.

"You know," Scorpius said.

"They had to be brought back into our lives, Scorp. It was time. It was long overdue. Doesn't it feel better now?" Hermione asked, laying her head on his bare back. The last ten years had been kind to her husband. His art kept them afloat while she continued her philanthropic work, and they both had flexible schedules that allowed them to have fun. Sometimes, when she was finishing a project, things got crazy and Scorpius had to rein her back in. But her life had been, for the most part, more relaxed than she had ever known.

"I understand that, Hermione," Scorpius said, sighing heavily again and reached up to wrap his fingers into hers with his paint covered hands. "I want to accept them. I just keep thinking about you sitting in court defending yourself against those...charges," he shivered.

"It's over," Hermione said. "Look at us. You and I are best friends. We are unbreakable. We do what we want. We go where we want. The Wizarding World has totally forgotten what happened ten years ago. The last piece is bringing the family back together. As the kids get older, I can't help but feel incredibly sad for your parents. I couldn't imagine not being able to see Rose and Hugo. Since you and I don't have children, that might be an alien concept, but your parents do miss you. I know they do."

"I know," Scorpius said. "It's okay. I'll get used to it. I never wanted it to be like this. I know this is my chance to see what a relationship with them could be like. I _am_ going to try, but you've got to give me some time."

"Okay," Hermione smiled, hugging him tighter. "I'll be in bed when you are finished here."

"I'm done now," Scorpius said, turning around and pulling her into his arms. "Why don't you come help me wash this paint off?" He wagged his eyebrows at her and she giggled as she picked her up in his arms and marched toward the shower.

The end.


End file.
